Trump says U.S. arms to Taiwan are 'negotiating chip'

Donald Trump said in a Fox News interview aired on May 15 that U.S. arms sales to Taiwan are “a very good negotiating chip” in dealings with China, reopening a sensitive question in U.S. policy toward the island. The comment came after Trump’s trip to Beijing and meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to multiple reports. Trump said he had not yet approved a delayed arms package for Taiwan and tied the decision to broader talks with China. The remarks quickly drew responses from Taiwan, U.S. lawmakers and analysts because U.S. arms support for Taiwan has long been framed in Washington as a legal commitment and a deterrence issue, not a bargaining item. ### What exactly did Trump say? Trump told Fox News anchor Bret Baier that he had not approved the package and might still withhold it. “I’m holding that in abeyance and it depends on China,” he said, according to reports published on May 15 and May 16. He added: “It’s a very good negotiating chip for us, frankly. It’s a lot of weapons.” Reports said the package under discussion is worth about $14 billion. (abcnews.com) Politico reported that Trump also told reporters aboard Air Force One on May 15 that he would make a determination “over the next fairly short period.” He said Xi had raised U.S.-Taiwan arms deals during their talks in Beijing. Trump said he made “no commitment either way” on the issue, CBS News reported. (abcnews.com) ### Why did that line attract so much attention? The Taiwan Relations Act, enacted in 1979, states that it is U.S. policy to provide Taiwan with arms “of a defensive character” and to maintain the U.S. capacity to resist coercion against the island. That statute does not require Washington to recognize Taiwan as a state, but it has underpinned decades of security support. (politico.com) The Six Assurances, first given by the Reagan administration in 1982, also included a commitment that the United States had not agreed to consult Beijing on arms sales to Taiwan. Congress’s research service and declassified American Institute in Taiwan materials both describe that assurance as part of the established framework. That is why Trump’s comments prompted scrutiny over whether he was treating arms decisions as part of direct bargaining with China. (congress.gov) ### How did Taiwan respond? Taiwan’s Presidential Office said U.S. arms sales are part of Washington’s security commitments under the Taiwan Relations Act and “a key element of collective deterrence against regional threats,” according to Focus Taiwan. President Lai Ching-te later said arms purchases from the United States are “the most important deterrent” to conflict and instability, according to Associated Press reports carried by other outlets. (congress.gov) Taiwan’s government has tried to present the episode as a political dispute in Washington rather than a formal change in U.S. policy. Reports on May 16 and May 17 said Taipei emphasized that the “consistent U.S. policy and position toward Taiwan remain unchanged.” ### What did U.S. lawmakers and analysts say? (focustaiwan.tw) Representative Michael McCaul, a Texas Republican and former House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman, said on May 15 that the United States must “arm Taiwan so they can defend themselves for deterrence against Chairman Xi,” according to CBS News. Representative Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the committee, said Taiwan should have what it needs to defend itself. (abcnews.com) Bonnie Glaser of the German Marshall Fund said Taiwan “should never be used as a bargaining chip,” while Ryan Hass of Brookings wrote that Trump’s stance could encourage Beijing to test U.S. limits. David Sacks, a former political-military expert at the U.S. diplomatic outpost in Taiwan, told Politico that actual “haggling or horse trading” over arms sales would break with precedent. Those assessments were the first organized expert response after Trump’s interview aired. (cbsnews.com) ### What comes next? The $14 billion package remains undecided as of May 20, based on the latest available reporting. Trump said he would decide “over the next fairly short period,” while Taiwan’s government and members of Congress have continued pressing for approval. Any next formal step is likely to come either from the White House, from administration officials clarifying policy, or from a notification tied to the pending Taiwan arms package. (focustaiwan.tw) (politico.com)