The US State Department has approved weapons sales to Taiwan worth a total of $1.4 billion, a move which is certainly going to anger China which considers the self-governing island part of mainland China.
According to a State Department official, the arms sales to Taiwan contains seven items, including Early Warning Radar Surveillance systems, the Joint Stand-off Weapon, anti-radiation missiles, torpedoes and components for SM-2 missiles.
“These sales primarily represent upgrades to existing defense capabilities aimed at converting current legacy systems from analog to digital,” the official said.
State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said on Thursday the Trump administration had notified Congress of its plan to approve the seven sales to China.
Nauert claimed the sales did not violate the Taiwan Relations Act that defines American contacts with the island country.
“It shows, we believe, our support for Taiwan’s ability to maintain a…