Amid Rising Tensions With Xi Jinping's China, Team Biden Considers Selling Upgraded Patriot Missiles And Radars To Taiwan

The Biden administration has proposed selling Taiwan as many as 100 of its most advanced Patriot air-defence missiles along with radar and support equipment. 

What Happened: The potential sale of defense equipment, valued at $882 million, comes amid serious tensions with Xi Jinping-led China, according to a State Department notice obtained by Bloomberg.

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The report noted that the state department made the provisions under the 2010 sale to the island, so technically, it is not new. The proposal has been classified as an enhancement to the earlier deal, with a total value of $2.81 billion.

The deal had then infuriated Beijing – which claims sovereignty of the island nation – and led China to halt planned military exchanges with Washington.

The new proposal intends to send as many as 100 of Lockheed Martin Corp.'s hit-to-kill Patriot Pac-3 "Missile Segment Enhancement" missiles – which are more advanced than earlier Patriots sent to the island nation.

It proposes M903 Launcher modification kits, missile round trainers, and software upgrades to match the new missiles.

The department's notice to the U.S. lawmakers is expected to be printed in the Congressional Record as soon as Tuesday, it said.

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