Taiwan thanks U.S. for US$345 million in military aid
Taipei, July 29 (CNA) Taiwan's government on Saturday thanked Washington for providing Taiwan with US$345 worth of military aid through a Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), but was tight-lipped about the contents of the package.
The White House announced the PDA on Friday and said the package will include "defense articles and services of the Department of Defense, and military education and training."
It did not specify what weapons systems or services will be provided.
Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) thanked the U.S. for the PDA and its "firm commitment" to Taiwan's security.
"The PDA is an important tool to shore up Taiwan's self-defense capabilities besides arms sales," MND spokesman Major General Sun Li-fang (孫立方) said in a statement.
"Taiwan and the U.S. will continue working closely on security issues to maintain peace, stability and the status quo in the Taiwan Strait," Sun said.
Based on a long-standing agreement between Taiwan and the U.S., however, the MND will not discuss details of the aid, Sun said.
Meanwhile, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) thanked the U.S. for honoring its pledges to uphold Taiwan's security under the Taiwan Relations Act and the Six Assurances, with the PDA. It said that similar to arms sales, the PDA is crucial to bolstering Taiwan's self-defense.
"Taiwan and the U.S. will continue deepening their close partnership and work together to defend the rule-based international order and promote peace, stability and the status quo in the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region," MOFA said in a statement.
"MOFA will not discuss details of the PDA," it said.
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