Taiwan Urges Trump to Advance Arms Deal After China Summit

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Taiwan's government on Saturday pressed the U.S. to approve the latest arms package to the self-governing island, according to DW.

President Donald Trump told Fox News on Friday after he concluded a high-stakes summit with China's Xi Jinping that he had not decided on future sales when asked about it. "I may do it. I may not do it," Trump said.

In December, the Trump administration approved a record $11 billion arms sale package for Taiwan.

Other media outlets, including the Reuters news agency and The New York Times, have reported that a second deal, worth around $14 billion, is still awaiting Trump's approval.

Taiwan's Deputy Foreign Minister Chen Ming-chi said earlier Saturday that Taiwan would continue to communicate with the U.S. to understand the situation from Washington's side.

He declined to comment on the second package because it has not been made public yet.

Taiwan reminds U.S. of commitment to provide weapons

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te's spokesperson Karen Kuo said Saturday that China's military threat is the "sole destabilizing factor" in the Indo-Pacific region, including the Taiwan Strait.

"Furthermore, military sales between Taiwan and the U.S. are not only a reflection of the U.S. security commitment to Taiwan as stipulated in the Taiwan Relations Act, but also serve ‌as a mutual deterrence against regional threats," she said.

Under the Taiwan Relations Act established in 1979, Washington is bound by law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself.

Taiwan featured prominently during Trump-Xi summit in Beijing

Xi Jinping has been working to weaken the U.S. commitment to defending Taiwan, the self-governing island it claims as its own. Beijing has not ruled out resorting to military action to bring Taiwan under its control.

During their meeting in Beijing earlier this week, Xi told Trump that any mishandling of the Taiwan issue could lead to an "extremely dangerous situation."

Trump didn't take questions from reporters during the trip, but on his way home to Washington, he told reporters on board Air Force One that he and Xi had discussed Taiwan "a lot."

Trump said he would "make a determination over the next fairly short period" when asked about weapons sales to Taiwan.

U.S. policy on Taiwan has not changed, Trump says

Trump said in his interview with Fox News that U.S. policy hasn't changed, although he warned Taiwan not to formally declare independence. "Nothing's changed. I will say this. I'm not looking to have somebody go independent."

Taiwan's foreign ministry said in a statement Saturday that Taiwan "is a sovereign and independent democratic nation, and is not subordinate to the People's Republic of China."

The U.S. has a decades-long policy of ambiguity towards the self-governing island. It is Taiwan's main weapons provider but does not formally recognize it diplomatically, in line with Beijing's One China policy.

But analysts say that Trump's discussions with China over Taiwan may have tested Washington's longstanding policy on not consulting China over sensitive topics regarding Taiwan.

Read: Trump Weighs Lifting Sanctions on Chinese Firms Buying Iranian Oil

Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News

Xi Jinping Invokes 'Thucydides Trap': What It Means for US-China Ties

1 hari lalu

Xi Warns Trump Taiwan Mishandling Could Spark China-US Clash

2 hari lalu

US-China Summit Could Reshape Global Power

2 hari lalu

Taiwan's Lai Returns from Eswatini Trip Amid China Objection

11 hari lalu

Taiwan's President Visits Eswatini Despite China's Objection

13 hari lalu

China Hails Countries for Blocking Taiwan President's Flight

24 hari lalu

Explore Taichung Aquarium, Taiwan's New Marine Tourism Icon

32 hari lalu

China Boosts Ties with Taiwan After Opposition Leader Visits

34 hari lalu

China's Xi Jinping Hosts Taiwan Opposition Leader in Beijing

36 hari lalu

F4 Jakarta Reunion Concert 2026: Ticket Prices and Seating List

36 hari lalu