Beijing Pressed Trump to Curb $14 Billion Taiwan Arms Deal as Xi Visit Opened Leverage
Updated
Updated · South China Morning Post · May 29
Beijing Pressed Trump to Curb $14 Billion Taiwan Arms Deal as Xi Visit Opened Leverage
11 articles · Updated · South China Morning Post · May 29
$14 billion in planned Taiwan arms sales became a target for Beijing during Donald Trump's May visit, with Chinese officials pressing Washington to limit or delay approvals, sources said.
Chinese officials had raised the demand as early as the start of 2026 and asked the US to avoid approving Taiwan weapons packages both before and after the trip.
Beijing focused on shrinking the size of deliveries, seeking a return to the smaller, more targeted packages seen under Joe Biden rather than the record approvals in Trump's second term.
The push adds detail to reports that Trump delayed the Taiwan package amid negotiations with Xi and Iran war pressures, leaving Taipei uncertain about timing and military planning.
With US arms production backlogged for years, is Taiwan's best defense now homegrown drone technology?
If security aid is a 'negotiating chip,' how can US allies trust long-term defense commitments?
Is the US defense industry's 'vulnerability window' a greater threat than any single diplomatic negotiation?
The $14 Billion Pause: U.S. Arms Sales to Taiwan Delayed Amid Trump-Xi Negotiations and Strategic Uncertainty
Overview
In May 2026, President Trump announced a pause on a major U.S. arms package for Taiwan, describing it as a valuable negotiating chip with China. This decision followed a summit with President Xi and was officially linked to the need for the U.S. to replenish its own arms stockpiles, which had been reduced by the ongoing Iran war. As a result, Taiwan’s arms request was deprioritized in favor of U.S. military readiness. While Taiwanese officials acknowledged the delay, U.S. authorities reassured Taiwan that overall policy remained unchanged, highlighting the complex balance between strategic negotiation and longstanding security commitments.