Trump-Xi meeting: US ‘very much’ understands Taiwan’s defense needs, Taipei official says
By Ben Blanchard / Reuters
The United States “very much” understands Taiwan’s defence needs and the severe military threat it faces from China, said Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Chen Ming-Chi (陳明祺) yesterday, following a Washington summit between the US and Chinese leaders.
Democratically governed Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, has been waiting for months for US President Donald Trump to approve a new arms sales package worth some US$14 billion, following up on a record US$11 billion deal unveiled last December.
After meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in Beijing this May, Trump said he was keeping the latest arms sales package in abeyance. Trump has not mentioned the sale since last week’s summit, saying only on Saturday that Xi understands his position on Taiwan.
Deputy Foreign Minister Chen Ming-chi, center, speaks to reporters in Taipei yesterday.
Photo: CNA
Speaking to reporters in Taipei, Chen pointed to comments by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio that military sales to anyone require the same careful consideration.
“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. Under this context, the US very much understands our defence needs,” he said.
Washington also understands Taiwan’s determination to invest in its military, Chen added.
“We do continuously communicate with them, and we believe the US understands the situation we face and our determination on defense investment completely,” he said.
The United States is bound by law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself. China has repeatedly called for military sales to end.
David Perdue, the US ambassador to China, told CNBC on Friday that there has been no change in Taiwan policy by Trump, including on arms sales.
Chen said Taiwan had received confirmation “from our American friends repeatedly that US policy toward Taiwan remains unchanged.”
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