China Holds Up Colby Beijing Visit Over $14 Billion Taiwan Arms Package
Updated
Updated · Financial Times · May 20
China Holds Up Colby Beijing Visit Over $14 Billion Taiwan Arms Package
1 articles · Updated · Financial Times · May 20
China has signalled it will not approve Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby’s proposed summer trip to Beijing until Donald Trump decides whether to move ahead with a $14 billion weapons package for Taiwan.
Trump said after meeting Xi Jinping last week that he was keeping the arms package “in abeyance” as a negotiating chip, after the administration had already delayed planned congressional notification in February.
The package would include Patriot interceptors and Nasams air-defence missiles, and Beijing had already reacted to a record $11.1 billion Taiwan arms sale in December by cancelling earlier talks on a Colby visit.
A Colby trip would be used to deepen military-to-military contacts and could help prepare a return visit by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, but analysts say Beijing may use access as leverage to delay or dilute Taiwan support.
The dispute adds to Trump’s broader balancing act before Xi’s expected September Washington visit, while Taiwan remains anxious and US commanders warn China’s military drills around the island resemble invasion rehearsals.
By calling arms sales a 'negotiating chip,' is the US signaling a fundamental shift in its Taiwan policy?
With a huge arms backlog and depleted munitions, can the US still arm Taiwan for a potential future invasion?
In the US-China standoff, is control over rare earths more powerful than the leverage of billion-dollar arms sales?
$14 Billion at Stake: U.S.-Taiwan Arms Deal Delay Tests American Commitment and Regional Security
Overview
The report highlights how delays in a crucial $14 billion U.S. arms package for Taiwan are straining U.S.-Taiwan relations and raising doubts about American commitments. As China maintains its claim over Taiwan and refuses to rule out force, Taiwan’s need for strong self-defense and reliable international support becomes urgent. The arms package, which includes advanced missile and air-defense systems, was approved in principle but is now held up, affecting diplomatic efforts and Pentagon visits to Beijing. This situation underscores the complex interplay between U.S. policy decisions, Taiwan’s security, and China’s strategic pressure.