US aims to turn Taiwan into giant weapons depot, officials say

The effort to transform Taiwan into a weapons depot faces challenges. US officials are determining the quantity and types of weapons sold to Taiwan by quietly telling Taiwanese officials and American arms makers that they will reject orders for some large systems in favor of a greater number of smaller, more mobile weapons. Biden said last month that US troops would defend Taiwan if China were to carry out an "Unprecedented attack" on the island - the fourth time he has stated that commitment and a shift from a preference for "Strategic ambiguity" on Taiwan among US presidents. US officials increasingly emphasize Taiwan's need for smaller, mobile weapons that can be lethal against Chinese warships and jets while being able to evade attacks, which is central to so-called asymmetric warfare. In a recent article, James Timbie, a former State Department official, and James O. Ellis Jr., a retired US Navy admiral, said that Taiwan needs "a large number of small things" for distributed defense, and that some of Taiwan's recent purchases from the United States, including Harpoon and Stinger missiles, fit that bill. Some senior senators are trying to push through the proposed Taiwan Policy Act, which would provide $6.5 billion in security assistance to Taiwan over the next four years and mandate treating the island as if it were a "Major non-NATO ally." If China decides to establish a naval blockade around Taiwan, American officials would probably study which avenue of resupplying Taiwan - by sea or by air - would offer the least likelihood of bringing Chinese and US ships, aircraft, and submarines into direct conflict.