The United States on Monday said it had approved a $2.4 billion sale of 100 Harpoon coastal defense systems to Taiwan, defying Beijing's anger over a $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 Defense Systems (HCDS), which includes 400 RGM-84L-4 Harpoon Block II surface-launched missiles with a range of around 78 miles (125 kilometers).

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."

Democratic and self-ruled Taiwan lives under constant threat of invasion by authoritarian China, whose leaders view the island as part of their territory.

They have vowed to one day seize Taiwan, by force if necessary.

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."

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

Beijing said Tuesday it "firmly opposed" such moves, urging the US to "call off the relevant arms sales plan to Taiwan, so as not to cause further damage to China-US relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait".

Foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said China would "take proper and necessary measures to firmly safeguard its national sovereignty and security interests."

- 'Strategic ambiguity' -

Washington diplomatically recognizes Beijing over Taipei but it is also bound by an act of Congress to sell Taiwan weapons to defend itself.

In contrast to treaty allies like Japan, South Korea and the Philippines, the US has never openly committed to defending Taiwan if it was invaded -- a policy known as "strategic ambiguity."

But it maintains that any change to Taiwan's future status must not be done by force.

Taiwan's military is dwarfed by China's People's Liberation Army and much of its equipment, including its fleet of fighter jets, is aging.

Recent US administrations were wary of big-ticket arms sales to Taiwan for fear of provoking Beijing.

But US President Donald Trump has been much less squeamish, signing off on multiple sales worth billions in recent years, as he clashes with China on a host of issues.

Last Wednesday, the US said it had approved the $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 mainland China.

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

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said the sanctions were "to safeguard national interests" and would apply to those who have "behaved badly in the process of arms sales to Taiwan."

Zhao did not give further details on how the sanctions would work.

State Department approves $2.37B weapons sale to Taiwan after China sanctions
Washington DC (UPI) Oct 27, 2020 - The State Department this week approved a potential $2.37 billion sale of 100 Harpoon Coastal Defense Systems to Taiwan.

According to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States asked to buy 100 of the defense systems along with related equipment and technical support -- and the State Department approved the deal Monday.

Monday's announcement marks the third time this month the State Department has approved a potential sale of arms to Taiwan.

It also came the same day China said it would sanction three U.S. defense contractors over $1.8 billion in potential Taiwan arms sales approved this year.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said Monday that Beijing would sanction Boeing's defense division, Lockheed Martin and Raytheon Technologies over weapons sales to Taiwan.

That includes two deals approved last week: a $1.008 billion potential sale of 135 AGM-84H Standoff Land Attack Missile Expanded Response, or SLAM-ER, Missiles, and a $436.1 million potential sale of 11 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems M142 Launchers, as well as a $620 million deal allowing Taiwan to upgrade its Patriot missile system.

Boeing is also listed as the primary contractor for Monday's Harpoon missile deal.

Last week a spokesman for China's defense ministry suggested that China would retaliate if the deals approved earlier in the week go through.

The DSCA said the acquisition will "help improve the security of the recipient and assist in maintaining political stability, military balance, economic and progress in the region."

Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense shared the DSCA's announcement on Twitter Monday, adding, "We express our appreciation again to the U.S. for helping to strengthen our defense capabilities in accordance with #TaiwanRelationsAct and #SixAssurances."

Taiwan has been governed independently from China since 1949, but China's government still sees the island as part of its territory.

Since the passage of the Taiwan Relations Act in 1979, the United States has defined substantial but non-diplomatic relations with the island that include military support.

Related Links
Taiwan News at SinoDaily.com

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China issues retaliation threat over $1.4B sales of U.S. arms to Taiwan
Washington DC (UPI) Oct 23, 2020
A spokesman of the Chinese defense ministry suggested that China will retaliate if $1.4 billion U.S. arms sales to Taiwan go through. "The move seriously damages relations between the two countries and the two militaries, as well as the peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. China firmly opposes it," said spokesperson Col. Tan Kefei of China's Ministry of National Defense on Thursday. "China strongly urges the U.S. side to immediately cancel the plans of selling weapons to Taiwan ... read more