Trump calls Taiwan arms 'negotiating chip'

Donald Trump said in a Fox News interview aired on May 15 that he was holding back approval of a proposed U.S. arms package for Taiwan and described the sale as leverage in dealings with China. “I’m holding that in abeyance and it depends on China,” Trump said of the package, adding: “It’s a very good negotiating chip for us, frankly. It’s a lot of weapons.” The remarks came just after Trump wrapped up a summit in Beijing with Chinese President Xi Jinping, where Taiwan was one of the issues on the agenda. Trump had said before the trip that U.S. arms sales to Taiwan would be part of his discussion with Xi, noting that “President Xi would like us not to” proceed. ### What exactly did Trump say about the Taiwan package? (usnews.com) Fox News aired the interview after Trump’s return from China, and the comments centered on a second Taiwan arms package worth about $14 billion that had not yet received his final approval. Trump said he had not made a determination and tied the decision to broader U.S.-China talks. (cnbc.com) Politico reported that Trump also told reporters on Air Force One on May 15 that Xi had raised U.S.-Taiwan arms deals in their discussion and that he would decide “over the next fairly short period.” Trump said Xi “feels very strongly” about Taiwan and “doesn’t want to see a movement for independence.” ### Why did the comment draw attention in Taiwan? (usnews.com) Taiwan depends on U.S. weapons sales as a central part of its defense posture, even though Washington does not formally recognize Taiwan as a country. The United States is bound by the Taiwan Relations Act to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself, and U.S. policy has long treated arms sales as a security commitment rather than a bargaining item in talks with Beijing. (politico.com) The Associated Press reported that Trump’s formulation heightened anxiety on the island because it suggested U.S. support could be made contingent on negotiations with China. David Sacks, a former political-military expert at the U.S. diplomatic outpost in Taiwan, told Politico that direct “haggling or horse trading on arms sales” would break with precedent if that is what Beijing sought and Trump accepted. (usnews.com) ### How did Taiwan respond? Taiwan President Lai Ching-te responded publicly on May 17, saying Taiwan would not be “sacrificed or traded” and that long-term Taiwan-U.S. security cooperation rests on law. Lai said arms sales were based on the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act and called them “the most important deterrent force over the years” against actions that undermine regional peace and stability. (usnews.com) Lai also said people in Taiwan were “very concerned” about the Taiwan content of the Trump-Xi meeting, while thanking the U.S. government for continued attention to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. He said Taiwan would not provoke conflict but would not give up its sovereignty or democratic way of life under pressure. (usnews.com) ### What is the status of U.S. arms sales now? Reuters reported that the Trump administration approved an $11 billion arms sales package for Taiwan in December, described as the largest ever, while the second package worth about $14 billion still awaited Trump’s approval as of May 17. CNBC also reported before the Beijing summit that Taiwan arms sales were expected to be one of the central issues in the talks. (usnews.com) The next concrete marker is Trump’s decision on the pending $14 billion package, which he said on May 15 he would make in the near term. Taiwan’s government, led by Lai, has already put its response on record, and Beijing has continued to frame Taiwan as the most important issue in U.S.-China relations. (politico.com) (usnews.com)