Pentagon sends weapons directly to Taiwan

It is the first time that the Pentagon has sent weapons directly to Taiwan to boost its defenses. The White House announced the arms supply as the first tranche of the annual $1 billion "Presidential Drawdown Authority" that Congress approved last year to support Taiwan. Past US administrations have also approved arms sales to Taiwan, but this is the first time that weapons have been supplied directly under the PDA, the same mechanism by which the Biden administration has sent weapons to Ukraine. The move comes as concerns grow in Washington over alleged Chinese military activity in the waters and airspace around Taiwan.

Rai news reports it. Biden's move has sparked protests from China, which claims sovereignty over the island. "China strongly opposes military ties with the United States and arms sales to Taiwan," said Liu Pengyu, spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Washington. "The United States should stop selling weapons to Taiwan, stop creating new factors that could lead to tensions in the Taiwan Strait, and stop posing risks to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait," Liu added.