Taiwan’s defence minister said on Monday he remained “cautiously optimistic” about US approval of an arms package for the island, even as a senior Pentagon official said Washington would put the sale on hold. The reassurance by Wellington Koo Li-hsiung came after acting US Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao said Washington was pausing the proposed deal to ensure the US military had sufficient ammunition to continue its war on Iran. “We’re just making sure we have everything, but then the foreign...
Donald Trump’s blunt warning that he was not looking to have “somebody go independent” after his summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping has reignited debate in Taiwan over whether Washington is hardening its message on the island. For many in Taipei, the US president’s remarks evoked memories of the George W. Bush administration, when Washington publicly checked Taiwan over moves seen as edging towards formal independence. But just as analysts were debating whether Trump had delivered the...
Taiwan fears a US pause on a $14bn arms package could weaken its defences and shake confidence in Washington’s support.
US acting navy chief Hung Cao told a Senate hearing they were "doing a pause" on the sale to make sure they had munitions for the Iran war.
Analysts say the remarks are less a sign of closer US-Taiwan ties than another example of Trump’s unpredictability.
President Lai says Taiwan's future is up to its people as the island faces Chinese and US headwinds.