Source: Global Times-Global Network
[Global Times-Global Network Reporter Guo Yuandan] The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) stated on the 9th that the State Department approved the sale of equipment and technology related to the re-certification of the "Patriot" Type III missile. The amount is approximately US$620 million. On the same day, DSCA also approved the US to sell 105 F-35 military aircraft worth US$23 billion to Japan. In this regard, a Chinese expert told the Global Times on the 10th that the US arms sales arrangements when the US was caught in the quagmire of the epidemic indicated that the pace of US containment of China was accelerating. In fact, apart from emboldening itself by purchasing "Patriot 3", Taiwan does not see the significance of such a huge sum of money.
Taiwan "Patriot III Air Defense Missile". Source: Taiwan's "United Daily News" series of data photos
This is the second time the United States has approved arms sales to Taiwan this year. Prior to this, on May 20, the United States announced the sale of a batch of Mk48 heavy torpedo to Taiwan. The Patriot air defense missile is an important weapon for Taiwan's high-altitude defense. It is deployed around Taiwan's major cities and important military facilities. The current model used is the most advanced "Patriot" III, with a maximum interception distance of up to 70 kilometers, an interception altitude of over 24 kilometers, a radar search range of 100 kilometers, and the ability to track 100 targets.
Regarding the actions of the United States, Taiwan Tsai Ing-wen Office spokesperson Huang Chongyan welcomed this morning and thanked the United States for fulfilling its commitments under the "Taiwan Relations Act" and the "Six Guarantees", and continued to strengthen its defense capabilities to ensure peace and security across the Taiwan Strait and the region.
Huang Chongyan said that the US arms sale is a logistic maintenance and technical service for the Patriot III missile. In view of the recent "mainland has frequently exerted various military pressures across the Taiwan Strait and between regions, this case will help Taiwan's upper-air defenses to be further strengthened." ".
nuclear strategy expert Professor Yang Chengjun told the Global Times on the 10th that the symbolic significance of the US arms sales to Taiwan and the role of emboldening itself are greater than the actual military value. Compared with the previous "Patriot 2" air defense missile, the "Patriot 3" air defense missile preparation time has been greatly shortened. The launch preparation can be completed in about 60 minutes, and the probability of interception has also increased. In the test, the probability of interception is as high as 80%. However, this data is based on the prediction of the launch time, location and flight trajectory of the target. Yang Chengjun said, "If we make up our minds to "army reunification", "Patriot 3" can be said to be of little use. This is because the specific time and location of our missile launches are unpredictable by the Taiwan military, and we will definitely Use a variety of military means, such as assaults from the air and water. At present, the PLA’s conventional missiles can be used for mobile operations, and the preparation time for launching is only extremely short. The Patriot 3 has no way to respond. Then consider their successful launch. Due to the limitations of probability and interception probability, Taiwan’s purchase of'Patriot 3'has a symbolic meaning greater than actual military value. Apart from emboldening myself, I don’t see the significance of spending such a huge amount of money?”
Yang Chengjun also said that once the mainland plans “ "Martial Reunification" will be a comprehensive application of multiple methods. It is not just a military branch of the Rocket Army. Land, sea and air will be played one after the other according to the plan. Then Taiwan needs to buy at least 30,000 "Patriot 3" to play a role, but still It cannot prevent China from achieving its strategic goal of reunification of the motherland.
In addition, according to the Kyodo News Agency of Japan, the United States announced on the same day that it has approved the sale of a total of 105 cutting-edge stealth fighter F-35s to Japan. The cost including related equipment is approximately US$23 billion. The US State Department stated that this contract is in the interests of the United States because it helps Japan, an important ally. Li Haidong, a professor at
China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on the 10th that US arms sales to Taiwan and Japan usually have a set rhythm, and a batch of related weapons will be sold every other time. "The particularity of this year is that the United States has more urgent and more urgent awareness of the China threat theory than before. This arms sales occurred when the United States was caught in the quagmire of the epidemic, and the arms sales arrangements could be made as scheduled, proving that the United States was besieging China. The pace of the mainland is accelerating.”
Li Haidong believes that the US arms sales to Taiwan and Japan have obvious political intentions, that is, to strengthen the regional alliance’s confidence in US security guarantees, so that the US, Japan, and Taiwan will gradually form an alliance. The mutual union that the United States expects will more effectively clamp the pattern in China.
At the military level, Li Haidong said that some subtle effects will occur in the military balance of East Asia, especially in the East China Sea and South China Sea.In the national military comparison, the "balance" of the regional military due to the sale of fighter planes and missiles will make the US alliance feel a certain degree of "reassurance." Li Haidong further introduced that the arms sales also revealed why the United States has frequently exaggerated China's military exercises in the South China Sea and the East China Sea. The United States hopes to expand China's threat through hype to increase Japan and Taiwan's dependence on the United States. "This further exposes the specificity of the United States towards China. In the future, US arms sales to Japan and Taiwan may be further expanded to achieve the goal that the United States believes is sufficient to effectively restrict China's military development."
Li Haidong believes that no matter what. Neither the US arms sales to Japan nor the Taiwan region can change mainland China’s own dominant position in the regional military comparison. In other words, the US can only make the region more complex and chaotic, not more stable, and impossible to achieve in the end. The purpose of the United States and the Allies to restrain and contain China.
