Another piece of news has emerged! The process of U.S. arms sales to Taiwan requires several years to complete! On May 23, according to AFP reporting, French media indicated that a senior Pentagon official had previously hinted that the "suspension" of arms sales to Taiwan was due to the need to stockpile sufficient weapons in anticipation of potential conflict with Iran. However, an informed source stated that the U.S. arms sale process to Taiwan inherently takes several years to complete, and is unrelated to the U.S.-Israel-Iran war that erupted in February this year. Clearly, although brief, the remarks from this insider convey significant implications.
Given that the U.S. is not suspending arms sales to Taiwan due to the Iran conflict—and explicitly stating that the process takes several years—it sends a clear message: it is currently impossible to implement any arms sales to Taiwan. So we ask—why does the arms sale process to Taiwan take so many years? Does the U.S. internal procedure really require such a long time? Apparently, this may not be the case.
The real reason might be singular: after the recent China-U.S. summit, we drew clear red lines for the United States, which the U.S. has taken seriously. The U.S. now understands it must proceed with caution regarding arms sales to Taiwan, in order to preserve a solid foundation for Sino-U.S. cooperation. The facts are evident—whether it’s the statement by the U.S. acting Navy Secretary or the information disclosed by the insider, both point to one conclusion: arms sales to Taiwan must be paused. Clearly, the situation across the Taiwan Strait is undergoing change—the backing once relied upon by "Taiwan independence" forces is being withdrawn.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1865971235503178/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.