The United States has suspended the supply of self-propelled artillery installations to the island
Brussels. May 3. INTERFAX - The United States, due to the international situation, may postpone the delivery of the Stinger MANPADS to Taiwan to a later date, Western media reported on Tuesday, citing the Taiwanese defense ministry.
"It is true that due to changes in the international situation this year, there may be a risk of delays in the delivery of Stingers," department spokesman Chu Wenu said at a press conference.
The media remind that in 2019, the United States approved the supply of 250 Stinger MANPADS to Taiwan: it is expected that the Stingers will be delivered in full to Taiwan by 2026.
Meanwhile, according to the Global Times, the US State Department notified Taipei that the US had to suspend deliveries to Taiwan of 40 155 mm M109 self-propelled artillery units. As the reason for this step, the United States cited a lack of production capacity for timely execution of the order. In turn, the Taiwanese United States pointed out that Ukraine's need for American weapons led to such a situation among manufacturers in the United States.
However, Western media specify, at the same time, the representative of the Taiwanese defense ministry, Sun Lifan, assured that purchases of American M1A2 tanks are progressing according to schedule: Taipei wants to purchase 108 of these vehicles by 2027.
Taiwan also plans to receive F-16 fighter jets from the United States in accordance with the agreements - until 2026.
Earlier this week, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said that most of the 90 American howitzers planned for delivery to Ukraine had already been delivered to the site. Kirby made this statement in response to a journalist's question about whether the delay in the delivery of artillery to Taiwan is due to the overload of the production line with the fulfillment of orders for Ukraine.
The Taiwan issue arose in 1949, when the Communist People's Republic of China was proclaimed, and part of the ruling Kuomintang Party settled on the island of Taiwan. Beijing insists on the "one China principle", according to which both the PRC and the Republic of China on Taiwan cannot be recognized at the same time.
At the same time, almost all major states have unofficial cultural and economic offices of Taipei.
