STRONGER DEFENSES: The announcement could be considered tacit US support for the nation’s indigenous arms manufacturing program, Joseph Wu told lawmakers

Taipei Times
Date: May 22, 2020….
By: Jake Chung / Staff writer, with CNA

Just hours after President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) inauguration on Wednesday, the US Department of State’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced in Washington the possible sale of 18 MK-48 Heavy Weight Torpedoes to Taiwan.

Reacting to the announcement, Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) yesterday told a meeting of the Legislative Yuan’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee that the ministry applauded the US move, which would help to uphold the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA).

The TRA states that the US should “provide Taiwan with arms of a defensive character … to maintain the capacity of the US to resist any resort to force or other forms of coercion that would jeopardize the security, or the social or economic system, of the people on Taiwan.”0

The possible sale — which includes 18 MK-48s, spare parts, logistics support, training and manuals — was valued at US$180 million and is pending review by the US Congress.    [FULL  STORY]