TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The US must provide Taiwan with more capable weapons, US-Taiwan Business Council (USTBC) President Rupert Hammond-Chambers said in a statement on Tuesday (Sept. 17).

Hammond-Chambers acknowledged sales demonstrate the US’ commitment to Taiwan’s security but said, it is a continuation of selling “munitions and sustainment in relatively small value tranches.”

On Monday, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced the sale of aircraft spare parts and related logistics and support for approximately US$228 million (NT$7.26 billion). The spare parts will boost Taiwan’s “ability to meet current and future threats,” DSCA said.

The USTBC president lamented that US support for modernizing Taiwan’s military “has been on hold since 2020.” The Biden administration has failed to strengthen Taiwan’s capability to fend off a full-scale Chinese invasion with its maintenance and munitions arms packages, he said. 

Washington’s lack of consideration for gray zone, blockade, and quarantine scenarios “is destabilizing over time,” Hammond-Chambers said. “Meanwhile, China’s force modernization continues apace.”

The USTBC president noted that Biden’s weapons sales to Taiwan have decreased in value compared to those under former US President Donald Trump. “This harks back to a pre-Trump era approach where greater than US$1 billion Taiwan arms sales were considered overly provocative toward Beijing and therefore to be avoided,” he said, adding this aligned with the president’s “non-escalatory approach” to global security aid.

Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense thanked the US for Monday’s arms sale, saying it will “maintain the readiness and operational status of Taiwan’s Air Force.” The defense ministry said China’s frequent gray-zone tactics continue to put pressure on Taiwan near its air and maritime borders.