US to Allocate $4.5 Billion in Military Assistance to Taiwan

The U.S. announces a $4.5 billion military assistance package to Taiwan, a move that may anger China and stoke tensions.

The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday approved the Taiwan Policy bill to provide $4.5 billion in military aid over four years to the island, the U.S. portal Bloomberg revealed. 

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The bill calls on the U.S. president to impose sanctions on Chinese officials and financial institutions that act against Taiwan, according to Bloomberg. It would also formally grant the island the status of "major non-North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) ally".

The document was approved with 17 votes in favor and 5 votes against, which sends it to the full Senate for consideration.  In this regard, Democratic Senator Robert Menendez, who chairs the Committee and co-sponsored the bill, stated that the U.S. legislature "must be clear about what it is up against" and stressed that "war with China is not being sought."

Taipei is one of the main sources of tension between China and the United States. The Asian giant considers Taiwan an integral part of its territory, so it openly rejects U.S. efforts to strengthen military support for Taiwanese forces, warning that it "will take all necessary measures to safeguard its security and territorial integrity."

"Taiwan is not Ukraine, the Chinese people's determination and will to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity are unshakable," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin made clear in March.