US In Talks To Sell Sea Guardian Drones Taiwan: Reuters

Reuters reporting sources stating that the US is in talks to sell high-spec Seaguardian drones to Taiwan.

• SeaGuardians are a version of General Atomics' SkyGuardian drones, itself a development of the MQ-9 Reaper. The SeaGuardians are equipped with specialist naval radar, can carry a payload of 2.1 tonnes, and fly at 40,000ft for 35 hours.
• Story comes as US Secretary of Health and Huma Services Alex Azar visits Taiwan as part of the most high-profile US delegation to visit Taiwan since 1979.
• If the sale were to go through it would be another action to ratchet up the already-tense relations between the US and China.
• In Taiwan there is an increasing clamour to beef up their military forces with Chinese incursions into Taiwanese airspace occurring at a greater frequency.
• Moreover, some in the Taiwanese government have voiced concerns about the objectives of Beijing in East Asia following the introduction of the national security law in Hong Kong that critics say is intended to end Hong Kong's 'one country, two systems' political environment.