A new report from the US Congressional Research Service shows that despite a sale of F-16C/D aircraft being turned down this year, Taiwan remains one of the US’ four major arms buyers.
Last year — the most recent year for which figures are -available — Taiwan accepted delivery of US$660 million in arms from the US.
Only Saudi Arabia, with US$1.2 billion, Egypt, with US$830 million, and Pakistan, with US$690 million, bought more US arms during that year.
Taiwan was also fourth in terms of worldwide US arms -deliveries for the total period of 2007 through last year, when it received US$3 billion in arms, and for the period of 2003 through 2006, when it received US$4.1 billion.
Last year, Taiwan was also the leading purchaser of “US defense articles and services” in the world having concluded deals (but not -deliveries) valued at US$2.7 billion.
According to the new figures, for the period 2007 through last year, Taiwan concluded agreements to buy US$6.6 billion in arms, compared with Saudi Arabia at US$13.8 billion, the United Arab Emirates at US$10.4 billion and Egypt at US$7.8 billion.
Taiwan has been consistently at or near the top of the list of US arms customers in Asia for the past seven years.
It accepted delivery of US$4.1 billion in arms from 2003 to 2006 — more than twice as much as most other US allies in the region.
During that same period, South Korea received US$2.4 billion of US weapons, Japan US$2 billion, Australia US$1.3 billion and Singapore US$1.1 billion.
For the period 2007 through last year, Taiwan again topped the list with deliveries of US$3 billion, compared with Japan’s US$2.9 billion, Australia’s US$2.7 billion, South Korea’s US$2.7 billion and Pakistan’s US$1.4 billion.
Region-wide last year, Taiwan’s acceptance of US$660 million worth of arms from the US placed it second only to Pakistan, which had arms deliveries of US$690 million.
Other top Asian buyers for last year were South Korea, which received US$640 million of arms; Australia, at US$590 million; and Japan, at US$490 million.
INCREASED CAPACITY: The flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays would leave Singapore in the morning and Taipei in the afternoon Singapore Airlines is adding four supplementary flights to Taipei per week until May to meet increased tourist and business travel demand, the carrier said on Friday. The addition would raise the number of weekly flights it operates to Taipei to 18, Singapore Airlines Taiwan general manager Timothy Ouyang (歐陽漢源) said. The airline has recorded a steady rise in tourist and business travel to and from Taipei, and aims to provide more flexible travel arrangements for passengers, said Ouyang, who assumed the post in July last year. From now until Saturday next week, four additional flights would depart from Singapore on Monday, Wednesday, Friday
The Ministry of National Defense yesterday reported the return of large-scale Chinese air force activities after their unexplained absence for more than two weeks, which had prompted speculation regarding Beijing’s motives. China usually sends fighter jets, drones and other military aircraft around the nation on a daily basis. Interruptions to such routine are generally caused by bad weather. The Ministry of National Defense said it had detected 26 Chinese military aircraft in the Taiwan Strait over the previous 24 hours. It last reported that many aircraft on Feb. 25, when it spotted 30 aircraft, saying Beijing was carrying out another “joint combat
Taiwan successfully defended its women’s 540 kilogram title and won its first-ever men’s 640 kg title at the 2026 World Indoor Tug of War Championships in Taipei yesterday. In the women’s event, Taiwan’s eight-person squad reached the final following a round-robin preliminary round and semifinals featuring teams from Ukraine, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, the Basque Country and South Korea. In the finals, they swept the Basque team 2-0, giving the team composed mainly of National Taiwan Normal University students and graduates its second championship in a row, and its fourth in five years. Team captain
When Paraguayan opposition lawmaker Leidy Galeano returned from an all-expenses-paid tour of six Chinese cities late last year, she was convinced Paraguay risked missing out on major economic gains by sticking with longtime ally Taipei over Beijing — a message that participants on the trip heard repeatedly from Chinese officials. “Everything I saw there, I wanted for my country,” said Galeano, a member of the newly-formed Yo Creo party whose senior figures have spoken favorably about China. This trip and others like it — which people familiar with the visits said were at the invitation of the Chinese consulate in Sao Paulo
RSS