The M1A2 Abrams arrived in Taiwan late Sunday and were transferred to an army training base in Hsinchu south of the capital Taipei, the ministry said.
These models are the first new tanks to have been delivered to Taiwan in 30 years, according to the Central News Agency. The government placed an order for 108 units in 2019, worth more than $1.2 billion. The rest should be delivered in 2025 and 2026, a military official said.
Anger of Beijing
Washington has long been Taipei's most important ally and largest arms supplier, angering Beijing, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory.
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs also urged the United States on Monday to “stop arming Taiwan […] and to support the Taiwanese independence forces.”
“The Taiwanese authorities' attempt to seek independence through force and foreign aid is doomed to failure” and “China will firmly defend its national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity,” a spokesperson said. – Ministry spokesperson, Lin Jian. The Taiwanese army currently has 1,000 tanks, produced locally like the CM Brave Tiger, or of American design like the M60A3, the technology of which tends to become obsolete.
“Strategic ambiguity”
In early November, Taiwan received its first batch of American HIMARS multiple rocket launchers, already used by Ukraine in its conflict against Russia. Over the past five decades, the United States has sold billions of dollars worth of military equipment and munitions to Taiwan, including F-16 fighter jets and warships.
The United States historically maintains a policy of “strategic ambiguity” regarding possible U.S. military intervention if Taiwan were attacked by China.
