Taiwan welcomes possible U.S. weapons aid: MND

• Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense on 6 May declined to confirm a Reuters’ report that U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration plans to send USD500mn worth of weapons aid to Taiwan, using the same emergency authority that it has used to help Ukraine defend itself, but the ministry said it welcomed such a plan.
• The ministry was asked to respond to the Reuters’ report on 5 May that as a part of the 2023 budget, U.S. Congress authorized up to USD1bn worth of weapon aid for Taiwan using Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), which expedites security assistance and has helped to send arms to Ukraine.
• The drawdown, which authorizes the president to transfer weapons and services from U.S. stockpiles without congressional approval during an emergency, would be the first from that USD1bn authorization, according to Reuters.
• In response to the report, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense said the main purpose of the PDA is to provide Taiwan with U.S. weapons stockpiles to make up for the defense gap created by delays in U.S. ams deliveries.
• It was unclear whether the aid would be entirely free weapons for Taiwan or a loan that would have to be paid back with interest. Details of the plan could not be immediately obtained.
• However, two analysts contacted by CNA said they believed the aid would be free weapons that already exist in the United States’ stockpile.

External Link : https://focustaiwan.tw/politics/202305070001