Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement responding to President Donald Trump's hesitation to approve a U.S. arms sale to the island.
The diplomatic friction follows two days of meetings between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The situation signals a potential shift in U.S. security guarantees for Taiwan and highlights the tension between Washington's strategic partnerships and its trade relations with Beijing.
Taipei released the statement this week to reaffirm the relevance of the Taiwan Relations Act. The ministry sought to defend the established U.S. policy of providing Taiwan with the means to defend itself. The response comes after the U.S. president expressed reluctance to back a defense package valued at $14 billion [1].
The hesitation from the White House follows high-stakes discussions between the U.S. and Chinese leadership. While the exact timing of the response varies across reports, with some citing May 16 and others citing May 17 [2, 3], the core message from Taipei remains a call for consistency in U.S. arms-sale policies.
Taiwan's leadership views the stalled $14 billion [1] deal as a critical component of its national security. The ministry said that maintaining these sales is essential for regional stability. By invoking the Taiwan Relations Act, Taipei is reminding Washington of its legal obligation to provide defensive weaponry to the island.
President Trump's comments suggest a willingness to leverage arms sales as a bargaining chip in broader negotiations with China. This approach contrasts with previous administrations that viewed the sales as a non-negotiable pillar of the U.S.-Taiwan relationship. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs continues to advocate for the completion of the stalled deal to ensure its defense capabilities remain current.
“Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement responding to President Donald Trump's hesitation to approve a U.S. arms sale.”
This development indicates a pivot in U.S. foreign policy where security commitments to Taiwan may be treated as transactional. By hesitating on a $14 billion arms deal immediately following talks with President Xi, the Trump administration is signaling that U.S.-China relations may now take precedence over the traditional framework of the Taiwan Relations Act.
