Will China retaliate? And if so, against whom?
Motly Fool
Date: Dec 20, 2015
By: Rich Smith
The headline practically says it all. On Wednesday, the United States
USS Carr (FFG-52) is one of two decommissioned U.S. frigates in line for sale to Taiwan. Image source: U.S. Navy, Photographer’s Mate 1st Class James Foehl.
announced plans to sell $1.7 billion worth of hi-tech weaponry to Taiwan. In response, China fired off an immediate diplomatic protest, and demanded that the U.S. retract the arms sale.
According to official Chinese policy, Taiwan is still part of China proper, and so “China resolutely opposes the sale of weapons to Taiwan by the U.S.,” said Vice Foreign Minister Zheng Zeguang in a diplomatic meeting. But what is it exactly that China is upset about?
Taiwan’s shopping list
Here’s a quick rundown of the weapons systems on Taiwan’s shopping list, as notified to Congress in a series of eight announcements by the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency, the Pentagon arm responsible for coordinating foreign weapons contracts: [FULL STORY]
