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Washington will be selective in the arms it sells to Taiwan, prioritizing weapons that would be effective in blocking a Chinese invasion, Nikkei has learned. The weapons sales are expected to be a key theme in the strategic bilateral dialogue the two sides aim to hold by the end of June. Priority will be given to weapons with "asymmetric capabilities" -- those that are agile, inexpensive and effective in dealing with Chinese amphibious operations. Specifically, they cover anti-ship missiles and air defense systems, as well as systems for gathering intelligence needed to identify enemy movements and for initiating early warnings. F-16 fighter jets, meanwhile, might not fall under this category. This implies that the bar for additional fighter jet sales may be set higher in the future. Asymmetric weapons, such as the man-portable surface-to-air Stinger missiles, Javelin antitank missiles and Turkish Bayraktar TB2 unmanned aerial vehicles have proven efficient in the war in Ukraine.
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