China says US military aid to Taiwan will not deter its will to unify the island

China has accused the United States of turning Taiwan into an “ammunition depot” after the White House announced a US$345 million military aid package for the island.

China's Taiwan Affairs Office issued a statement late on Saturday (Jul 29) opposing the military aid to Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory.

“No matter how much of the ordinary people's taxpayer money the ... Taiwanese separatist forces spend, no matter how many US weapons, it will not shake our resolve to solve the Taiwan problem, or shake our firm will to realise the reunification of our motherland,” said Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office.

“Their actions are turning Taiwan into a powder keg and ammunition depot, aggravating the threat of war in the Taiwan Strait," the statement said.

The US on Friday unveiled a US$345 million military aid package for Taiwan designed to quickly bolster the island's ability to deter any possible Chinese invasion. The package - which an official said features intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance equipment and small arms munitions - will be drawn from the US' own reserves, allowing it to be delivered on a faster-than-usual timeline.

These are "capabilities that Taiwan will be able to use to bolster deterrence now and in the future", a Pentagon spokesperson said.

Taiwan's defence ministry thanked Washington "for its staunch commitment to Taiwan's security".

"The Presidential Drawdown Authority is another important support for Taiwan's self-defence in addition to weapons sales," ministry spokesman Sun Li-fang said.

"Taiwan and the US will continue to cooperate closely in safety issues in order to maintain peace, stability and the status quo in the Taiwan Strait."

The package is in addition to nearly US$19 billion in military sales of F-16s and other major weapons systems that the US has approved for Taiwan. Delivery of those weapons has been hampered by supply chain issues that started during the COVID-19 pandemic and have been exacerbated by the global defence industrial base pressures created by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Taiwan split from China in 1949 amid a civil war.

Chinese President Xi Jinping maintains China’s right to take over the now self-ruled island, by force if necessary.

The US maintains a “One China” policy under which it does not recognise Taiwan’s formal independence and has no formal diplomatic relations with the island in deference to Beijing. However, US law requires a credible defence for Taiwan and for the US to treat all threats to the island as matters of “grave concern".

In the past year, the Chinese military has held two major drills around Taiwan, simulating targeted strikes and a blockade of the island.