US Approves US$2.4bn Harpoon Missile Sales To Taiwan

The United States has said it had approved a US$2.4 billion sale of 100 Harpoon coastal defence systems to Taiwan, defying Beijing's anger over a US$1 billion missile deal last week.

The announcement came just hours after Beijing said it would sanction US firms involved in an earlier arms sales to the democratic self-ruled island.

The proposed sale of the Harpoon systems "will help improve the security of the recipient and assist in maintaining political stability, military balance... and progress in the region", the State Department said in a statement.

The deal involves 100 Harpoon Coastal Defence Systems (HCDS), which includes 400 RGM-84L-4 Harpoon Block II surface-launched missiles with a range of around 125 kilometres.

The missiles, manufactured by Boeing, can be positioned on fixed platforms or mounted on trucks.

The office of Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen released a statement thanking the United States for the sale, saying it would "upgrade asymmetric warfare capabilities".

Beijing has ramped up diplomatic and military pressure on Taiwan since the 2016 election of Tsai, who views the island as a de facto sovereign nation and not part of "one China".

PLA fighter jets and bombers have entered Taiwan's air defence zone with unprecedented frequency in recent months, while propaganda films have shown simulated attacks on Taiwan-like territories and US bases in Guam.

Last Wednesday, the US said it had approved the US$1 billion sale of 135 precision-guided, air-launched AGM-84H SLAM-ER cruise missiles – which unlike the Harpoon have a range greater than the width of the Taiwan Strait that separates the island from the mainland.

In response, Beijing on Monday said it would impose sanctions on Lockheed Martin, a Boeing defence division and other US firms involved in the arms sale. (AFP)