Washington still considering arms sale, Trump says - Taipei Times

Washington is still considering a proposed US$14 billion arms sale to Taiwan, US President Donald Trump said on Friday, while indicating that he plans to discuss the issue with President William Lai (賴清德).

Reporters aboard Air Force One asked Trump whether he had made a decision regarding the arms package.

"We're looking at that. Yeah. We're looking at that," Trump said.

Photo: AFP

Asked whether he still planned to speak with Lai about the proposed sale, Trump replied: "I'll always talk to him."

Trump's remarks came after he said following a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in Beijing last month that a decision on a new arms package for Taiwan would be made soon.

Lai has previously said that, if given the opportunity to speak with Trump, he would stress that improving Taiwan's defense capabilities and purchasing US weapons are necessary measures to safeguard the nation's security, and maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

The proposed arms package remains under review within the US administration, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.

Speaking at a congressional hearing earlier this week, Rubio said the package had not been "paused," but was continuing through the review process.

The proposed sale is significant in scale, and would have implications for the US defense industry and its production capacity, requiring careful consideration, Rubio said.

Washington does not consult Beijing on arms sales to Taiwan, he said, adding that US policy toward Taiwan had not changed.