Taiwan confident of US arms sales despite Xi-Trump Washington talks
Taiwan has said it is confident that US arms sales to the island will continue, even as Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Washington for talks with US President Donald Trump and Beijing keeps up pressure on the issue.
Taiwanese officials said the US government and Congress have continued to back the island's self-defence needs. Their remarks came after China had pressed Washington to stop the sales, and after the United States paused a USD 14 billion arms package following a summit between Trump and Xi in Beijing in May.
Speaking to reporters in Tainan, Taiwanese Defence Ministry spokesperson Maj. Gen. Chiao Fu-chun said the US government and Congress had "repeatedly expressed support for Taiwan's self-defence capabilities". He added, "We will continue to maintain close contact with the US Department of Defence and continue to push forward the arms procurement deal between Taiwan and the US, ensuring it proceeds as planned."
Trump had described arms sales to Taiwan as a "very good negotiating chip" with China. Under US law, Washington is required to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself. While the United States does not recognise Taiwan as a country, it remains the island's strongest informal backer and main arms supplier. Washington approved another USD 11 billion package for Taiwan in December.
Hours before Xi arrived for the three-day state visit to the US, Taiwan's military carried out live-fire drills featuring a domestically developed eight-wheeled armoured vehicle. The vehicle, called The Cheetah, can be fitted with a 105-millimetre cannon, has a top speed of about 100 kph and an operational range of about 500 kilometres. Taiwanese Maj. Gen. Chen Chien-chung said it could be used on different terrains and was suitable for urban warfare.
Trump has also in recent years pressed Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te to sharply raise defence spending. Taiwan's defence budget is set to exceed 3 per cent of gross domestic product for the first time in 2027, and Lai has pledged to take it to 5 per cent by 2030. The developments highlighted both Taiwan's push to secure US arms supplies and its effort to strengthen domestic defence production as Xi's US visit began.
