Taiwan has formally signed a deal to buy Lockheed Martin F-16 jets amid tensions between Washington and Beijing.
The purchase marks the first time since 1992 that advanced fighter jets have been sold to the island and is likely to weigh on China’s disgrace, which has repeatedly warned against selling advanced weapons on an island it considers its own territory.
The sale, which the Pentagon announced Friday, was first launched a year ago and will be completed by the end of 2026. Ninety jets will potentially be sold as part of Friday’s announcement.
The new F-16s will be built at Lockheed’s facility in Greenville, SC
A spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs last year called on the US to “remember” the sale of fighter jets to Taiwan and to stop arms sales to and military contact with Taiwan. Otherwise, the Chinese side will certainly make strong reactions, and the US will have to bear all the consequences. ”
Since the warning, ties between the US and China have become increasingly strained, with the two countries clinging to sovereignty over the South China Sea, access to 5G, a new and controversial security law in Hong Kong and more.
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