Trump plans to increase arms sales to Taiwan: what will change in US-China relations
Kyiv • UNN
The Trump administration plans to significantly increase arms sales to Taiwan, which could increase tensions in relations between the United States and China. It is expected that the volume of arms sales to Taipei will exceed the figures of Trump's first term.
The administration of US President Donald Trump intends to significantly increase the volume of arms sales to Taiwan, which may exceed the volume of his first presidency, UNN reports citing Reuters.
Details
According to the publication, if US arms sales to Taiwan do accelerate, it could ease concerns about the extent of Trump's commitment to the island. It will also add new misunderstandings to the tense US-China relationship.
Some US officials, speaking anonymously to the publication, said they expect the number of US approvals for arms sales to Taipei over the next four years to surpass the number of approvals during Trump's first term. And one official said that the number of notifications of arms sales to Taiwan could "easily surpass" this figure for the previous period.
Also, according to reports, they did not oppose the government's efforts to increase defense spending to 3% of the island's output.
According to Reuters estimates, the Trump administration approved approximately $18.3 billion in arms sales to Taiwan, compared to approximately $8.4 billion during Joe Biden's presidency.
The United States is Taiwan's most important international sponsor and arms supplier, despite the lack of official diplomatic relations between Washington and Taipei.
However, many in Taiwan, which China considers its territory, are concerned that Trump may not be as committed to the island as previous US presidents.
During the election campaign, Trump suggested that Taiwan should pay for its defense, and also accused the island of stealing American semiconductor business, which caused concern in Taipei.
China has vowed to "reunify" with the island, by force if necessary. The Taiwanese government rejects Beijing's claims of sovereignty, saying that only the people of the island can decide their future.
US officials said that administration officials and Trump himself intend to "strengthen the tough deterrence" of Taiwan.
"The president is there. We are all there," one US official said, adding that they are working closely with Taiwan on a package of arms purchases that will be implemented as soon as Taiwan receives domestic funding.
The administration of the President of Taiwan told Reuters that the government intends to strengthen its self-defense capabilities, and pointed to its proposals to increase defense spending.
"Taiwan is committed to strengthening military deterrence while continuing to deepen security cooperation with the United States," said Presidential Office spokesman Wen Lee.
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