U.S.-Taiwan arms delivery timing uncertain

Taiwan said on Friday it had not been told by Washington of any delay to U.S. arms sales, after a senior U.S. official told senators there was a pause tied to U.S. munitions needs for operations against Iran. The comment injected new uncertainty into a long-running debate over the pace of weapons deliveries to the island. Taiwan has been waiting for the United States to approve a new arms sale package that Reuters has reported could be worth up to $14 billion. President Donald Trump said after his summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing last week that he was undecided on whether to approve it. ### What exactly did the U.S. official say? Hung Cao, the acting U.S. Navy secretary, made the remark at a May 21 hearing of the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee on the Navy budget request for fiscal 2027. Asked about future arms sales to Taiwan, Cao said: “We have done some foreign military sales to them. It’s just right now we’re doing a pause in order to make sure we have the munitions we need for Epic Fury.” He added that foreign military sales would continue “when the administration deems necessary,” and said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio would decide whether to approve sales to Taiwan. (usnews.com) Reuters reported the “Epic Fury” reference was to the U.S. operation against Iran. Cao also said the United States had “plenty,” but was making sure it had what it needed before resuming sales. ### How did Taiwan respond? Karen Kuo, a spokesperson for Taiwan’s Presidential Office, said in Taipei on May 22 that the government had taken note of Cao’s remarks but had not received any notice of changes. “At present we have not received any relevant information about the U.S. adjusting these military sales,” she said. (usnews.com) Taiwan’s defence ministry said separately it had not received any notification of arms sales delays and would continue to monitor U.S. security cooperation policy. The ministry said it was maintaining close coordination and communication with the United States to ensure arms sales proceed according to plan. Taiwan’s government rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims and says only the island’s people can decide their future. ### Which arms package is in question? Reuters said Taiwan is awaiting approval of a new U.S. arms sale package that could be worth up to $14 billion. (usnews.com) The public remarks this week did not identify which systems, if any, were affected by a pause. Taiwan’s last officially announced major U.S. package came on Dec. 18, 2025, when Taipei said Washington had notified Congress of an $11.1 billion sale covering eight items, including M109A7 self-propelled howitzers, additional HIMARS systems, TOW missiles, Javelin systems and Harpoon missile support. (usnews.com) Taiwan’s foreign ministry said at the time it was the second arms sale announced during Trump’s second administration. ### Why are delivery questions not new? George Mason University’s Taiwan Security Monitor said in an April 2026 update that the value of Taiwan’s arms-sales backlog stood at $29.72 billion after the final batch of M1A2T Abrams tanks arrived in Taipei. The group said several high-value programs remained backlogged, including F-16C/D Block 70 aircraft, Paladin self-propelled howitzers and HIMARS. (en.mofa.gov.tw) The Congressional Research Service said in a February 2026 brief that Congress has authorized new programs and appropriated additional funds to support Taiwan’s defense since 2022, while Taiwan plans to raise defense spending to around $31 billion, or 3.3% of GDP, in 2026. CRS said U.S. support includes arms transfers, defense dialogues and training. ### What is the legal and diplomatic framework here? (tsm.schar.gmu.edu) The U.S. State Department says the United States, consistent with the Taiwan Relations Act, makes available defense articles and services needed for Taiwan to maintain a sufficient self-defense capability. State and congressional materials describe that framework as the basis for ongoing unofficial defense ties with Taipei. (congress.gov) The next public marker is likely to come from Washington rather than Taipei. Any new sale would normally be reflected in a formal U.S. notification process, while further detail on the administration’s position could emerge from the Pentagon, the State Department or Congress after Cao’s May 21 testimony. (usnews.com) (2021-2025.state.gov)