Taiwan urges quick approval of $14bn US arms sale package

Taiwan's President William Lai Ching-te has urged the United States to approve a $14bn arms sale package as soon as possible, as Taipei seeks to strengthen deterrence amid continued pressure from China. Speaking in Taipei on Thursday, Lai also repeated that Taiwan rejects unification with China and said any talks should be based on "parity and respect". The comments come while the package remains under US review.

Sponsored

Lai said Taiwan would continue close communication with Washington and hoped the purchases could be approved quickly. He said Taiwan's refusal to accept unification or rule by the Chinese Communist Party should not be seen as a provocation. In May, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the deal was "under review", and a top US military official said last month Washington had paused the sale to conserve munitions for its war on Iran.

The issue matters because Taiwan relies heavily on US support to deter any potential Chinese attack, while arms sales also complicate ties between Washington and Beijing. Taiwan said US commitments to the island have not changed, citing domestic law that requires Washington to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself. Lai also said China should renounce the use of force and its military activities in the Western Pacific, arguing that Taiwan's arms purchases send a message that it is willing to defend itself.

The remarks also fit into a broader debate in Taipei over defence spending and military readiness. Lai has championed higher defence spending, but Taiwan's parliament last month approved only two-thirds of the $40bn defence budget he had proposed, cutting the part intended for drones and domestically produced weapons. On Thursday, Taiwan's defence ministry said it was proposing another special defence package worth NT$210bn, or $6.64bn, for surveillance and small unmanned surface drones.

Sponsored

China views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory and has stepped up military and diplomatic pressure on the island. That pressure has made arms procurement and defence planning central to Taiwan's security strategy, while also keeping the island at the centre of wider US-China tensions. The latest comments underline how Taipei is trying to balance calls for dialogue with efforts to strengthen its military position.

What remains unclear is when, or whether, the US will approve the package and whether the review will be affected by wider regional or munitions-supply considerations. It is also not clear how Taiwan's latest defence proposals will be received by lawmakers or by Washington. The next developments to watch are any formal US decision, further statements from Taipei, and any response from Beijing.

#Taiwan #USarmssale #WilliamLaiChingte #China #defencespending