After the approval of a foreign aid package by the Senate that will include military material for Taiwan (in addition to Ukraine and Israel), China condemned the United States, saying the aid "seriously violates" the bilateral pacts between Washington and Beijing, also saying it "sends a wrong signal to the Taiwan independence separatist forces" of the island country.
In statements reported by the Associated Press, Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for China's Taiwan Affairs Office, claimed that the party that governs Taiwan, the Democratic Progressive Party, is willing "become a pawn for external forces to use Taiwan to contain China, bringing Taiwan into a dangerous situation."
The aid granted by the United States to Taiwan is valued at $8 billion dollars. Another $60 billion were granted to Ukraine to aid in its conflict against Russia and an additional $26 billion went to Israel to support them in the war started by the Hamas terrorist group.
It is not the first time that Taiwan will receive military aid from the United States. In June of last year, the Biden administration sent a package valued at $345 million with the aim of increasing the island country's weapons capabilities and strengthening its deterrence against China.
Blinken in China
Meanwhile, Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in China to negotiate with Beijing on different issues that affect the country, such as the fight against fentanyl:
I’m in China to make progress on issues that matter most to the American people, including curbing fentanyl trafficking. We will discuss work underway to fulfill commitments made by @POTUS and President Xi last fall, as well as the areas where we have significant disagreements. pic.twitter.com/YMVN4LA6uD
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) April 24, 2024
The head of U.S. diplomacy is also expected to talk with the Chinese government about different conflicts, such as the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.
