Taiwan presses case for US arms after Trump signals uncertainty

Added: 2026-05-18

[00:00:01]Taiwan on Saturday pushed for US arms supplies after President Donald Trump said he was undecided on future sales.

[00:00:08]The US is the most crucial international backer for democratically governed Taiwan, which China claims as its territory.

[00:00:17]US arms sales to Taiwan have always been a cornerstone of regional peace and stability, a senior official said.

[00:00:24]Washington is bound by the Taiwan Relations Act to provide weapons to the island, which rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims. Trump said on Friday after talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing that the issue came up a lot. On Taiwan, he just doesn't want to see a fight for independence because that would be a very strong confrontation, and I I heard him out. A flash point in US-China relations, Trump gave no commitments on the weapons deal. I'll make a determination over the next couple of weeks. You're not necessarily going to go ahead. It was your proposal to make a determination. I have to say I'm going to see. I have to speak to the person that right now, you know, you know who he is, that's running Taiwan.

[00:01:06]In a statement, Taiwan President spokesperson Karen Kuo said China's escalating military threat is the, quote, sole destabilizing factor in the Indo-Pacific region. Kuo added the military sales also serve as a mutual deterrent against regional threats. In December, the Trump administration approved a record $11 billion arms sale package for Taiwan, Reuters has reported a second package worth around $14 billion still awaits Trump's approval.

[00:01:35]Taiwan declined to comment on the package and said it would continue to communicate with the US to understand the situation from Washington's side. US Republican and Democratic lawmakers have strongly urged the Trump administration to continue with weapons sales.