China urges US not to arm Taiwan in backlash over loitering munition green light

The Chinese Ministry of Defence issued a statement on 21 June 2024, that urged the US stop arming the Taiwan region, following the approval by the US state department for potential foreign military sales of loitering munitions worth $360m to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office on 18 June. 

The Chinese Ministry of Defence asked the US to “implement its commitment to not support “Taiwan independence,” stop arming China’s Taiwan region in any form and take practical actions to maintain stable relations between the two countries and the two militaries.”

A spokesperson for the ministry said that the foreign military sales violate the one-China principle and the August 17 joint communique. 

The spokesperson went on to say that the sales threaten peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits and pose a threat to the safety and well-being of ‘Taiwan compatriots’.

The release from the Defence Security and Cooperation Agency associated with the foreign military sales directly contradicts this sentiment, with the finding of the US State Department being that “the proposed sale will improve the recipient’s ability to meet current and future threats” and it will “improve the security of the recipient and assist in maintaining political stability, military balance, and economic progress in the region.”

In January of 2024 Taiwan saw its pro-independence government win an unprecedented third term in office. This followed a period of high tensions between Taiwan and China, with an increasingly hawkish China increasing its incursions into Taiwanese airspace and participating in naval exercises inside Taiwanese waters. 

Later on 21 June, China set out  a series of harsh new penalties for ‘separatist activities’ including ‘organising, plotting or carrying out schemes of “de jure independence,” or seeking independence by relying on foreign support or by force.’ The guidelines, jointly issued by the Supreme People’s Court, the Supreme People’s Procuratorate, and the ministries of public security, state security, and justice, also stipulate that ‘* those who are found to have colluded with any foreign or overseas institution, organisation or individual in committing such crimes, should be given a harsher punishment.’

The first foreign military sale to Taiwan involves the Switchblade 300 Anti-Personnel and Anti-Armor Loitering Missile System, estimated at $60.2m. TECRO has requested 720 Switchblade 300 (SB300) All Up Rounds (AURs), including 35 fly-to-buy AURs, and 101 SB300 fire control systems. Additional non-major defence equipment in the package includes spares, operator manuals, training, logistics support, and various technical services from the US Government and the principal contractor AeroVironment.

The second foreign military sale to Taiwan, significantly larger at $300m, includes the ALTIUS 600M-V Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). TECRO has requested up to 291 ALTIUS 600M-V systems, which consist of UAV loitering munitions equipped with extensible warheads and electro-optical/infrared cameras. The package also includes inert training UAVs, launch systems, trailers, ground control systems, and comprehensive support including spares, battery chargers, and various forms of technical assistance.