A $7billion (£5.4billion) dollar arms deal is expected to be agreed between the two sides, in a major blow to China’s ambitions to reclaim the island. Although it is not known when the deal will be signed or what it will include, it comes amid a time where escalations between China and Taiwan have reached crisis levels. Speaking to Express.co.uk, professor Steve Tsang, from the School of Oriental and African Studies, claimed the deal will cause China to become bolder in its claims for the state.
While China may not act straight away, he also claimed the deal will anger the inner sanctum of the ruling Communist Party.
He said: “China will be incredibly unhappy about the deal.
“While we don’t exactly know what is in the deal, it will certainly cause China to be more assertive over its claims to the state.
“I suspect China will also step its military drills in the region.”
Under the Taiwan Relations Act, signed in 1979, the US agreed to provide adequate arms to the state in order to defend itself.
If the latest deal is agreed, it would represent one of the largest between the two since the defence treaty was signed.
In a further landmark moment, the US has sent two high-level officials to the island as tensions with China ramp up.
Health Secretary, Alex Azar, became the first high-level official to visit the state since 1979 in August.
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In response, Taiwan was forced to scramble jets to escort the planes away from its airspace.
Tensions with China and the US flared this month during the UN General Assembly, when Donald Trump repeated his claims over China’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak.
Mr Trump said: “We must hold accountable the nation which unleashed this plague on to the world – China.
“In the earliest days of the virus China locked down travel domestically, while allowing flights to leave China and infect the world.