US moves to speed up arms deliveries to Taiwan

The United States is stepping up assistance to Taiwan as it seeks to strengthen its defence, Taiwan’s Defence Minister Wellington Koo has said. The move comes in response to what Taipei describes as a growing threat from China, which regards the island as its territory.

While some weapons systems have already been delivered, several key contracts remain behind schedule, including the supply of 66 upgraded F-16 fighter jets ordered in 2019.

Washington has set up a dedicated team to accelerate production and deliveries. According to Koo, the American sense of urgency is ‘quite high’, which should be reflected in a faster timetable.

Deliveries of the aircraft are expected to begin later this year, with production already running at full capacity. The US side has also acknowledged that Taiwan holds priority in security cooperation.

(reuters, mja)