U.S. pledges $571.3M defense aid to Taiwan, approves $265M military sale amid rising tensions with China.
The United States is bound by law to provide Chinese-claimed Taiwan with the means to defend itself despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties between Washington and Taipei, to the constant anger of Beijing.
Democratically governed Taiwan rejects China's claims of sovereignty.
China has stepped up military pressure against Taiwan, including daily military activities near the island and two rounds of war games this year.
Taiwan went on alert last week in response to what it said was China's largest massing of naval forces in three decades around Taiwan and in the East and South China Seas.
Biden had delegated to the secretary of state the authority "to direct the drawdown of up to $571.3 million in defense articles and services of the Department of Defense, and military education and training, to provide assistance to Taiwan," the White House said in a statement without providing details.
Taiwan's defense ministry thanked the United States for its "firm security guarantee", saying in a statement the two sides would continue to work closely on security issues to ensure peace in the Taiwan Strait.
The Pentagon said the State Department had approved the potential sale to Taiwan of about $265 million worth of command, control, communications, and computer modernization equipment.
Taiwan's defense ministry said the equipment sale would help upgrade its command-and-control systems.
Taiwan's defense ministry also said on Saturday that the U.S. government had approved $30 million of parts for 76 mm autocannon, which it said would boost the island's capacity to counter China's "grey-zone" warfare.
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U.S. Vice President JD Vance met with senior Vatican officials on Saturday for talks that the Vatican described as "cordial," following ongoing criticisms of the Trump administration’s policies, particularly regarding immigration.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a temporary ceasefire in Ukraine for Easter, set to last from 6 p.m. Moscow time (1500 GMT) on Saturday until midnight (2100 GMT) following Easter Sunday.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is set to visit Algeria on April 20-21 for high-level strategic talks, according to diplomatic sources.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance met with senior Vatican officials on Saturday for talks that the Vatican described as "cordial," following ongoing criticisms of the Trump administration’s policies, particularly regarding immigration.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a temporary ceasefire in Ukraine for Easter, set to last from 6 p.m. Moscow time (1500 GMT) on Saturday until midnight (2100 GMT) following Easter Sunday.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Friday his plan to reclassify approximately 50,000 federal workers under a new category, "Schedule Policy/Career," which would make it easier to fire civil servants who do not align with his administration's policy agenda.
The U.S. Supreme Court issued an order early Saturday blocking the deportation of alleged Venezuelan gang members from Texas under the Alien Enemies Act, a wartime law from 1798.
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