In a move to deter Chinese aggression, President Donald Trump is reportedly planning to ramp up arms sales to Taiwan, according to two U.S. officials who spoke to Reuters on Friday.
One of the officials suggested that the arms sales could "easily exceed" the $18.3 billion approved during Trump's first term. This comes as a stark contrast to the sharp decline in arms sales to Taiwan under President Joe Biden, which fell to $8.4 billion.
As reported by Breitbart, the Taiwanese have expressed concerns about Trump's commitment to defend the island, particularly after his 2024 campaign statement that Taiwan should contribute more towards its defense. In a July 2024 interview, when asked if he would defend Taiwan against a Chinese invasion, Trump responded, "I think Taiwan should pay us for defense. You know, we're no different than an insurance company. Taiwan doesn't give us anything."
Trump's comments sparked a media frenzy and were used by China in its propaganda, suggesting that under a second Trump administration, Taiwan might "turn from a pawn to a discarded child." However, the Taiwanese government remained steadfast, expressing gratitude for U.S. support and refraining from commenting until Trump clarified how much he believed Taipei should contribute to its defense.
Taiwanese Premier Cho Jung-tai reiterated last July, "Taiwan and the US share a common responsibility for the Indo-Pacific region of the Taiwan Strait, and we are willing to do more to defend ourselves and protect our security."
According to Reuters' sources, Trump remains committed to "enhancing hard deterrence" for Taiwan. The administration views a significant increase in arms sales as a means to express this commitment, while also aligning with Trump's goal of having Taipei shoulder more of its defense costs. This move also serves as a message to the Taiwanese opposition, which currently controls Parliament and has threatened substantial cuts to defense spending. U.S. officials have explicitly urged opposition leaders not to slash the defense budget.
One U.S. official emphasized, "We're messaging pretty hard to the opposition: Don't get in the way of this. This isn't a Taiwanese partisan question. This is a Taiwanese survival question."
In February, Taiwanese officials indicated they were considering an arms purchase of between $7 billion and $10 billion this year, including more advanced coastal defense missiles. If realized, this deal could bring Taiwan more than halfway to reaching Trump's target for his second term.
In response to the Reuters article, the Taiwanese Presidential Office highlighted President Lai Ching-te's intention to increase defense spending to three percent of gross domestic product (GDP) this year, up from the current 2.45 percent of GDP.
The opposition Kuomintang (KMT) party told Reuters it unquestionably supports increased defense spending but wants some input into the military budget and how the funds are allocated. "Supporting an increased budget does not mean serving as a rubber stamp, nor does it preclude making adjustments or engaging in negotiations regarding the special budget proposals put forth by the DPP administration," said Alexander Huang, director of KMT's international department.
The other major opposition group, the Taiwan People's Party (TPP), assured Reuters it has "always had smooth communication with the U.S. side and has continued to engage in in-depth dialogue on issues such as national defense and regional security."
China, however, expressed its displeasure at the report of increased arms sales to Taiwan. "The Taiwan question is at the core of China's core interests, and the first red line that cannot be crossed in China-U.S. relations," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said on Friday.
Lin urged the United States to "stop selling arms to Taiwan and stop creating new factors that could lead to tensions in the Taiwan Strait," just two days after China staged a military drill threatening Taiwan, Japan, and the Philippines.
This comes despite the third of the China-U.S. joint communiques from August 1982, which acknowledged that the U.S. would continue to sell arms to Taiwan, and Communist China would continue to disapprove. The U.S. pledged to reduce arms sales if Beijing worked toward a peaceful resolution of its differences with Taiwan, which it has evidently not done.
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