Greer Reasserts Taiwan Arms Policy as Trump Dangles $14 Billion Package in China Talks
Updated
Updated · NOTUS · May 17
Greer Reasserts Taiwan Arms Policy as Trump Dangles $14 Billion Package in China Talks
4 articles · Updated · NOTUS · May 17
Jamieson Greer said Sunday there was “no change in American policy” on Taiwan arms sales, directly undercutting Trump’s recent claim that the pending package could be used as leverage with Beijing.
Trump said after last week’s Xi summit that he was holding a $14 billion Taiwan arms package “in abeyance” depending on China, and that he discussed the issue with Xi in detail.
$11.1 billion in arms sales approved in December remains stalled by manufacturing and procurement delays; the package includes rocket systems, anti-tank missiles and munition drones.
Taiwan’s representative to Washington said no Trump-Lai call is scheduled, though communication is constant, while President Lai called U.S. arms sales the island’s most important deterrent.
The dispute cuts against the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act and Reagan’s Six Assurances, which underpin U.S. commitments to provide Taiwan defensive arms without consulting Beijing.
With Taiwan's security now a 'negotiating chip,' are other long-standing U.S. defense commitments also negotiable?
Can Taiwan's 'hellscape' drone strategy succeed without a guaranteed pipeline of advanced American weapons?
As the US re-shores chip manufacturing, is Taiwan's 'silicon shield' defense becoming obsolete?
The proposed $14 billion arms sale to Taiwan is currently on hold, as President Trump uses it as leverage in trade talks with China. He is pressing China to buy large amounts of American goods, such as airplanes and soybeans, while signaling possible ambivalence toward Taiwan. This has led to speculation that Trump may be willing to loosen U.S. ties with Taipei. Meanwhile, China views Taiwan as its top priority in relations with the U.S., with President Xi Jinping warning that mishandling the issue could destabilize the entire bilateral relationship. The future of the arms deal remains uncertain amid these tensions.