US President Donald Trump’s administration released US$5.3 billion in previously frozen foreign aid, including US$870 million in security exemptions for programs in Taiwan, a list of exemptions reviewed by Reuters showed.
Trump ordered a 90-day pause on foreign aid shortly after taking office on Jan. 20, halting funding for everything from programs that fight starvation and deadly diseases to providing shelters for millions of displaced people across the globe.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has said that all foreign assistance must align with Trump’s “America First” priorities, issued waivers late last month on military aid to Israel and Egypt, the top US allies in the Middle East, and for life-saving humanitarian aid, including food.
Photo: Reuters
Reuters obtained a list of 243 further exceptions approved as of Thursday last week totaling US$5.3 billion. The list provides the most comprehensive accounting of exempted funds since Trump ordered the aid freeze and reflects the White House’s desire to cut aid for programs it does not consider vital to US national security.
The vast majority of released funds — more than US$4.1 billion — were for programs administered by the US Department State’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, which oversees arms sales and military assistance to other countries and groups. Other exemptions were in line with Trump’s immigration crackdown and efforts to halt the flow of illicit narcotics into the US, including the deadly opioid fentanyl.
Security exemptions included US$870 million for programs in Taiwan, US$336 million for modernizing Philippine security forces, and more than US$21.5 million for body armor and armored vehicles for Ukraine’s national police and border guards, the list showed.
The list included only limited humanitarian relief.
The biggest non-security exemption was US$500 million in funding for the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which mainly funds healthcare services in Africa and is credited with saving millions of lives. That compares with PEPFAR’s annual budget last year of US$6.5 billion. PEPFAR is administered by the US State Department’s Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy.
In related news, the White House on Thursday again listed Taiwan’s pledge to boost investment in the US as one of Trump’s victories.
An article on the White House’s Web site titled “America Is Back — and President Trump Is Just Getting Started” listed items it said were among Trump’s “wins after just one month” in office.
Among them was “Taiwan pledged to boost its investment in the United States,” which included a hyperlink to a Financial Times article published on Friday last week on President William Lai’s (賴清德) pledge to boost procurement and investment in the US in response to “Trump’s global tariff threats and pressure on Taiwan’s semiconductor industry.”
The White House Web site included a similar statement that linked to the same Financial Times story in an article posted on Friday last week titled “Wins Come All Day Under President Donald J. Trump.”
Meanwhile, Rubio on Thursday reaffirmed Washington’s opposition to any forced change to the “status quo” in the Taiwan Strait, saying that the US does not seek conflict and remains committed to its long-standing policies on Taiwan.
The US has expressed clear commitments to Taiwan through multiple administrations for many years, Rubio said during an interview streamed on the social media platform X when asked whether the US would defend Taiwan if China moved against it.
“We are against any sort of compelled, forced change of status. That’s been our policy; that remains our policy,” he said.
Rubio emphasized that the US is not seeking to provoke or create a conflict, reiterating Washington’s long-standing policies — based on the Taiwan Relations Act and the “six assurances” — that oppose any attempt to alter the “status quo” through force, threat or coercion.
“That’s generally how we’ve left it, and that’s what’s provided stability,” he said. “I hope it continues to provide stability.”
Rubio also underscored Washington’s continued support for Taiwan’s participation in international forums “where their views and their interests are not represented by the mainland at this point.”
“We’re going to keep all the commitments we’ve made, but the most important one is to make clear that we are against and oppose any sort of forced change in status,” he said.
Rubio’s remarks followed recent updates to the Taiwan-US relations fact sheet published on the State Department’s Web site, which removed previous language stating that the US does not support Taiwanese independence and reinforced support for Taiwan’s international participation.
In Taipei, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) yesterday thanked Rubio for his remarks, adding that the US’ stance has helped maintain regional stability.
Taiwan will continue to work with the US and deepen the mutually beneficial Taiwan-US partnership, Lin said, adding that Taiwan would also continue to bolster its self-defense capabilities, work with the US to maintain the “status quo” in the Taiwan Strait, and foster regional peace, stability and prosperity.
Additional reporting by Fang Wei-li
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