Taiwan Says It Is Ready to Defend Itself After Trump Signals Uncertainty Over New Arms Deal
Tensions around Taiwan have resurfaced after US President Donald Trump appeared uncertain about approving a new weapons deal for the island nation during his recent visit to China.
Reacting strongly to Trump’s remarks, Taiwan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Chen Ming-chi said Taiwan remains committed to defending itself and will continue discussions with the United States regarding future arms support.
Speaking after Trump’s two-day visit to Beijing, Chen stressed that US arms sales to Taiwan are essential for maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. He also reminded that such military support is backed by American law under the Taiwan Relations Act.
The issue of Taiwan reportedly became one of the key topics during Trump’s meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping. During the discussions, Xi warned Washington that disagreements over Taiwan could potentially lead to serious conflict between the two global powers.
Despite Taiwan being one of America’s closest partners in the region, Trump said the US administration has not yet made a final decision on whether it will move ahead with another major arms package for Taipei.
According to reports, the Trump administration had previously approved a record $11 billion arms sale package for Taiwan in December. Another proposed deal worth nearly $14 billion is still awaiting approval.
Taiwanese officials have made it clear that the island nation will continue strengthening its defence capabilities amid growing military and political pressure from China.
News source: Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.
