A critical $14 billion arms sale package to Taiwan remains in limbo after President Donald Trump returned from Beijing in May and said he had discussed the proposal "in great detail" with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, heightening anxieties in Taiwan and raising concerns among lawmakers on Capitol Hill about the island democracy's ability to defend itself against an increasingly aggressive China.
Alexander Yui Tah-ray, who heads the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the U.S., emphasized the urgency of Taiwan's defensive needs in an interview Wednesday in Washington. "We need those arms for defensive purposes," Yui told The Associated Press. "We're trying to increase our defense expenditure. We try to increase our ability to defend ourselves better and survive times of crisis."
A Democratic Commitment Under Pressure
Washington is obligated by domestic law to provide Taiwan with sufficient hardware to deter aggression from China, which claims sovereignty over the island and vows to seize it, by force if necessary, to achieve what it considers to be unification. The Trump administration has not moved forward with the $14 billion weapons sale proposal after it was approved by senior lawmakers earlier this year. Trump has described the sale as a "very good negotiating chip" with China.
China has always opposed U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, which has never been under China's communist rule. China sends warships and military aircraft near Taiwan almost daily and has conducted major military exercises around the island in recent years. Beijing sees the island as a core interest and has criticized those supporting Taiwanese independence for causing instability in the Taiwan Strait.
Taiwan's Self-Reliance Amid Uncertainty
Yui stressed that Taiwan understands it must take primary responsibility for its own defense. "This is our responsibility, so we will not wait and depend for the U.S. cavalry to come and save us," he said. "That's why we're willing to acquire, to buy U.S. equipment and arms to make ourselves stronger."
Yui said the weapons sales need to be "commensurate" to the threat level, which is "actually pretty high" from China. "First and foremost, we're not the aggressors. It is the People's Republic of China who is sending all the planes and ships," he said. "They're the ones huffing and puffing. They are the ones who's trying to annihilate our freedom and democracy in Taiwan."
Congressional Support Meets Executive Delays
The arms sale has broad support in Congress, with lawmakers raising concerns to Secretary of State Marco Rubio at a hearing this month. Rubio affirmed that U.S. policy on Taiwan has not changed and that Washington does not "consult with the Chinese on these arms deals." "We're aware of their position. They talk about it all the time," Rubio said of Beijing. "They are not negotiated, and they are not consulted."
Rubio said the proposal was not held up but under review and that the administration had other factors to weigh. "It includes the availability of the stocks in the short term," Rubio said of U.S. weapons stockpiles, which have been drawn down during the Iran war. "We have to balance that with our own procurement process."
The administration did approve a separate $11 billion arms sale package to Taiwan in December that included high-mobility artillery rocket systems, or HIMARS, and howitzers.
Navigating an Unpredictable Partnership
Yui arrived in Washington in late 2023 during Joe Biden's presidency. Biden had said several times that he would send troops to the island if Beijing attacked. Now, Yui is navigating the caprices of the second Trump administration, which has struck a more conciliatory tone with Beijing following an intense trade war marked by tit-for-tat tariffs.
As much as Trump has raised eyebrows by ignoring a Reagan-era promise not to agree to prior consultation with Beijing on arms sales to Taiwan, he also said he could call Taiwan President Lai Ching-te, breaking a decades-long practice that no sitting U.S. president has directly spoken with the leader of the island.
In its national defense strategy published in January, the Pentagon said it seeks to deter China through strength, not confrontation. It says the U.S. "will build, posture, and sustain a strong denial defense" along a strategic line of islands, including Taiwan, to keep China out of the wider Pacific Ocean.
Yui stressed that there had been no changes to the U.S. position on Taiwan and that the Taiwanese government will respect the Trump administration's "tempo" in making announcements. Yui ascribed what appears to be mixed messages to Trump's outside-of-the-box style but expressed confidence in Taiwan-U.S. relations. "It's important to look at the actions, what is happening, not just the rhetoric," Yui said. "The big stick is still there."
Why This Matters:
The stalled arms sale raises fundamental questions about America's commitment to defending democracies facing authoritarian pressure. Taiwan's 23 million people live under constant military threat from Beijing, with Chinese warships and aircraft conducting near-daily intimidation operations. The island's ability to defend its freedom and democratic institutions depends substantially on access to modern defensive weapons that only the United States can provide under current law. When arms sales become bargaining chips in larger diplomatic negotiations, smaller democracies bear disproportionate risks. Congressional support for Taiwan reflects bipartisan recognition that collective security commitments require consistent follow-through, not transactional dealmaking. The delay also highlights tensions between executive flexibility and institutional obligations to support vulnerable allies facing existential threats to their self-determination.