Taiwan says US understands defence needs as $14 billion arms package remains on hold

Taiwan's deputy foreign minister, Chen Ming-chi, emphasized that the United States is well aware of Taiwan's defense needs (Reuters)

After the US China summit, Taiwan has assured that the United States understands its defence needs, even as a roughly $14 billion US arms package for Taipei remains on hold.According to Reuters, Taiwan Deputy Foreign Minister Chen Ming-chi said on Sunday that Washington’s policy towards Taiwan remains unchanged despite President Donald Trump’s latest talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.Chen Ming-chi said Taiwan had received repeated assurances from US officials. “The US very much understands our defence needs,” Chen said.The remarks come as Taiwan has been waiting for months for US President Donald Trump to approve a new arms sales package worth about $14 billion, following a record $11 billion deal unveiled in December.Reuters reported that Trump put the latest package in abeyance after meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing in May.Referring to the situation across the Taiwan Strait, Chen said China continues to invest resources in expanding its military capabilities despite economic difficulties.“Taiwan faces a severe situation in the Taiwan Strait. Even though China's economy is declining, it continues investing more resources into building military capacity, Chen said.Chen also said Washington understands Taipei's determination to increase defence spending and strengthen its military capabilities.

US ambassador to China, David Perdue told CNBC on Friday that there had been no change in Trump's Taiwan policy, including on arms sales.$14 billion Taiwan arms package remains on holdThe roughly $14 billion US arms package for Taiwan has remained in limbo for months, with President Donald Trump yet to approve the sale.Trump said after his May meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing that he was keeping the package “in abeyance” and described it as a “very good negotiating chip.”The package follows an $11 billion arms sale approved by the Trump administration in December. The second package has remained pending as Washington balances its defence commitments to Taipei with its broader ties with Beijing.The issue was also in focus ahead of the latest Trump Xi summit in Washington. Reuters reported before the meeting that Chinese officials were expected to press Trump to halt US arms sales to Taiwan, citing Beijing's interpretation of a 1982 US China joint communiqué.China considers Taiwan its territory and has repeatedly opposed US weapons sales to the island. The United States, meanwhile, is legally required to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself, despite not maintaining formal diplomatic relations with Taipei.