Bipartisan Support
During a press conference at Taipei’s parliament, Wellington Koo, Taiwan’s Defense Minister, emphasized that US legislative support for the island’s defense capabilities will remain steady, regardless of congressional party affiliation. This statement addressed questions about arms sales amid the US mid-term elections. When asked if Democratic control of both Congress chambers would alter the fate of the $14 billion package currently in limbo, Koo stated that support for Taiwan is bipartisan. „I believe the US Congress has always been non-partisan and will support Taiwan in strengthening its defense capabilities,” he said. „We will also continue to communicate with members of Congress and, of course, maintain close contact with the US Department of Defense to ensure these arms sales proceed as planned.”
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Although the US has no official diplomatic ties with Taiwan, it remains the island’s most important international backer and arms supplier. China asserts that Taiwan is an integral part of its territory. The largest arms sale ever approved for Taiwan occurred last December, when President Donald Trump signed a deal worth $11 billion. A second package, valued at approximately $14 billion, is in a state of impasse. Following the May meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, the US president characterized this package as a „negotiation chip” kept in a „holding pattern.” The Pentagon did not immediately respond to off-hours comment requests in Washington.
China’s Diplomatic Stance
China regularly describes Taiwan as its most sensitive and important diplomatic issue, repeatedly demanding that arms sales cease. US law obligates the country to provide Taiwan with the means necessary for self-defense. Taiwan’s elected democratic government rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims, arguing that only the island’s residents can decide their future. Chen Fang-yu, an associate professor at Soochow University in Taipei, noted a high degree of consensus between Democrats and Republicans regarding Taiwan policy. „Secretary of State Rubio and his team remain central figures, and their general strategy toward the Indo-Pacific, Asia, and the broader global situation is unlikely to change significantly,” he added.
Future Prospects and Negotiations
Four of Trump’s Republican colleagues urged his administration in September to release over $15 billion in national security assistance for Taiwan, including the $14 billion package, before Xi’s visit to the US capital. Trump is expected to meet with Xi at least two more times before year-end—at the APEC summit in China this month and the G20 in Florida in December. Taipei officials indicated the new package could be delayed until 2027. Ronan Fu, a research fellow at Academia Sinica, the government’s premier think tank, explained that when arms sales resume, possibly next year, they might be split into separate blocks. „But if you add it all up, I believe the total will be approximately the same,” he concluded.
