Taiwan’s envoy prods Trump administration on stalled arms sale

A newly purchased F-16V Block 70 fighter jet lands at Chihhang Air Base in Taitung, Taiwan, on Oct. 2. Taiwan received its first two U.S.-made F-16V fighter jets, as the island democracy upgrades its military capabilities to deter a potential Chinese attack. | AFP-JIJI

Oct 5, 2026

Taiwan’s representative to the U.S. projected confidence that President Donald Trump would ultimately approve additional weapons sales to the self-governing island, which has been waiting for a $14 billion arms package.

“Obviously the speed could be a little faster, but we hope the United States — the United States understands very well the threat that we are under and, I’m very sure, will be providing us with the necessary equipments,” Alexander Yui said on Bloomberg This Weekend with David Gura and Christina Ruffini.

Trump’s efforts to woo Chinese President Xi Jinping have sowed uncertainty about the United States’ commitment to Taiwan, raising the stakes for the arms sale. Air defenses make up a substantial share of the proposed package, people familiar with the matter have said.

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