Three people with knowledge of the matter told Nikkei that the U.S. and Taiwan are in the final stages of preparation for a strategic bilateral dialogue between security officials.
The dialogue set to take place in the US by the end of the month is expected to focus on specific measures for weapons provision and military drills.
The Monterey talks, held in the U.S. in autumn 2021, will be a regular framework for security cooperation, according to Taiwanese media. There isn't a plan for the talks and details are not public as a general rule.
One of the sources said that the upcoming dialogue would be weapons support from the U.S. with Washington aiming to prioritize the sale of weapons that would be effective in blocking Chinese landing operations on the island.
The U.S. Congress is considering a plan to give several billion dollars of financial support to Taiwan so the island can get weapons, according to Nikkei last month, citing three sources connected to the legislature.
Taiwan was a hot topic at the weekend Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Saturday that we will continue to fulfill our commitments under the Taiwan Relations Act as part of our One China policy. That includes assisting Taiwan in maintaining a sufficient self-defense capability. Austin warned of growing coercion from Beijing on Taiwan, pointing out an increase in provocative and destabilizing military activity near Taiwan. On Sunday, Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe hit out at the U.S. for its Indo-Pacific strategy and perceived threats against China while saying that the notion of Taiwan independence was a delusion. Let me make clear - if anyone wants to secede Taiwan from China, we will not hesitate to fight, Wei said. We will fight at all costs and we will fight to the end. This is the only choice for China.