After fleeing Saudi Arabia, the son of a Saudi preacher tells the details of the “night of his father’s arrest”

US officials are intensifying their efforts to prepare a huge stockpile of weapons in Taiwan, following the recent naval and air exercises conducted by the Chinese army around the island, according to the newspaper.The New York TimesOn Wednesday, regarding current and former officials.

The exercises showed that China would likely besiege the island as a prelude to any invasion attempt, and Taiwan would have to stand on its own until the United States or other countries intervened, if it decided to do so, according to the officials.

Efforts to turn Taiwan into an arms depot are facing challenges. The United States and its allies have prioritized sending weapons to Ukraine, reducing those countries’ stocks, and arms makers are reluctant to open new production lines without a steady stream of long-term orders.

It is unclear how China would respond if the United States hurriedly shipped arms to Taiwan, a democratic, self-governing island that Beijing claims as Chinese territory.

US officials limit the amount and types of weapons sold to Taiwan, and have told Taiwan officials and US arms makers that they are turning down requests for some heavy weapons (such as tanks) in favor of a larger number of smaller, more mobile weapons (such as missiles).

On September 2, the administration of US President Joe Biden announced that it had approved the sixth arms package for Taiwan – a $1.1 billion sale that includes 60 Harpoon anti-ship missiles. US officials are also discussing how to simplify the sales and delivery process.

President Biden said last month that the United States “does not encourage” Taiwan independence, adding: “This is their decision.” Since 1979, Washington has pursued a policy of assuring Beijing that it does not support independence. But Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in a speech last month that the United States was undermining that position “through frequent official exchanges and arms sales, including many offensive weapons.”

AndOn the 3rd of last SeptemberChina, through a spokesperson for its embassy in Washington, vowed to take “countermeasures” if the United States did not abandon a new arms sale to Taiwan.

“China will resolutely take countermeasures, both legitimate and necessary, in light of the situation,” spokesman Liu Bingyu said in a statement.

AFP quoted US officials as saying that the $1.09 billion deal includes $355 million for Harpoon anti-ship missiles and $85 million for Sidewinder short-range air-to-air missiles.

The bulk of the deal, though, they added, is a $655 million logistical support package for Taiwan’s reconnaissance radar program, which provides air defense warnings.

Air defense and early warning systems are becoming more important as Beijing steps up military exercises near Taiwan, which it considers a breakaway province.

The sharp and dangerous rhetoric between the United States and China regarding Taiwan has intensified in earnest since US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island last August.

Since Pelosi’s visit to Taipei, there have been at least two other visits by members of Congress and many visits by US state governors, all of which have been condemned by China.

China claims that Taiwan is part of its territory, and that it should be annexed by force if necessary.

The two sides split following a civil war in 1949 and have no official relations, with Beijing cutting even informal contacts following the election of independence-leaning Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in 2016.

The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) conducted exercises in August with warships and fighter planes in areas near Taiwan. Ballistic missiles were also launched into the waters off the coast of Taiwan, four of which passed over the island.

“The United States will not be able to resupply Taiwan as easily as Ukraine because there are no land (land) routes from neighboring countries (because Taiwan is an island),” the newspaper says.

Officials say the goal now is to ensure Taiwan has enough weapons to defend itself until help arrives. Biden said last month that US forces would defend Taiwan if China launched an “unprecedented attack” on the island.

James Tempe, a former State Department official, and James O. Ellis Jr., a retired US Navy admiral, says Taiwan needs “a large number of small arms” for distributed defence, and that some of Taiwan’s recent purchases from the US, including Harpoon and Stinger missiles, fit in with that. Taiwan also produces its own deterrent weapons, including air defense missile systems and anti-ship cruise missiles.