Bloomberg: US will supply Taiwan anti-ship missiles

Taiwan is set to purchase hundreds of Harpoon anti-ship missiles in a deal approved by the US government. The Pentagon announced a $1.7 billion Boeing contract for 400 Harpoons on April 7, but did not specify the buyer. A separate contract for 100 Harpoon Coastal Defense Launch Systems was outlined by the Defense Department last year. US lawmakers have clamored to boost arms deals with Taiwan. Rep. McCaul and Tsai Ing-wen met in the US to discuss a backlog of weapon sales to Taiwan worth $19 billion.

China responded with three days of drills simulating the total encirclement of Taiwan. Washington has maintained a policy of'strategic ambiguity' towards Taiwan, but President Joe Biden has stated that US forces would come to Taiwan's aid.