The US plans to ramp up weapons sales to Taipei to a level exceeding US President Donald Trump's first term as part of an effort to deter China as it intensifies military pressure on Taiwan, according to two US officials.
If US arms sales to Taiwan do accelerate, it could ease worries about the extent of Trump's commitment to Taiwan. It would also add new friction to the tense US-China relationship.
The US officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they expect US approvals for weapons sales to Taipei over the next four years to surpass those in Trump's first term, with one of the officials saying arms sales notifications to Taiwan could "easily exceed" that earlier period.
Photo: Reuters
They also said the US is pressing members of Taiwan's opposition parties not to oppose the government's efforts to increase defense spending to 3% of the country's budget.
The first Trump administration approved sales of approximately US$18.3 billion worth of weapons to Taiwan, compared with around US$8.4 billion during former US President Joe Biden's term, according to Reuters calculations.
The US is Taiwan's most important international backer and arms supplier despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties between Washington and Taipei.
Even so, many in Taiwan worry that Trump may not be as committed to the nation as past US presidents.
On the election campaign trail, Trump suggested Taiwan should pay to be protected and also accused Taiwan of stealing American semiconductor business, causing alarm in Taipei.
China has vowed to "reunify" with Taiwan, by force if necessary. Taiwan's government rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims, saying only Taiwanese can decide their future.
The US officials said administration officials and Trump himself were committed to "enhancing hard deterrence" for Taiwan.
"That's where the president is. That's where all of us are," one US official said, adding that they were working closely with Taiwan on an arms procurement package to be rolled out when Taiwan secured domestic funding.
Taiwan's Presidential Office told Reuters the government is determined to strengthen its self-defense capabilities and pointed to its proposals to increase defense spending.
"Taiwan aims to enhance military deterrence while continuing to deepen its security cooperation with the US," Presidential Office spokesperson Lii Wen (李問) said.
Taiwan's defense ministry declined to comment on any new arms sales, but reiterated previous remarks by Taiwan’s defense minister, Wellington Koo (顧立雄), about the importance of "solidarity and cooperation of democratic allies."
Taiwan's President William Lai (賴清德) and his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) aim to increase defense spending to 3% of GDP this year through a special defense budget.
However, the legislature, controlled by opposition parties the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People's Party (TPP), passed budget cuts earlier this year that threatened to hit defense spending.
That triggered concerns in Washington, where officials and lawmakers have regularly said the US cannot show more urgency over Taiwan's defense than Taiwan itself.
"We're messaging pretty hard (in Taipei) to the opposition. Don't get in the way of this. This isn't a Taiwanese partisan question. This is a Taiwanese survival question," one of the US officials told Reuters.
Three people in Taiwan with direct knowledge of the situation confirmed that the US government and US congressional visitors have been pressing the opposition parties in Taiwan not to block defense spending, especially the coming special defense budget, which is expected to be proposed to parliament later this year.
"As long as they knew there were people from the opposition in the room, they directly asked them not to cut the defense budget," one of the people said.
Alexander Huang (黃介正), director of the KMT's international department, told Reuters it was "beyond question" that the party firmly supports increasing the defense budget and its "doors are open" to the US government and the ruling DPP for consultations.
"Supporting an increased budget does not mean serving as a rubber stamp, nor does it preclude making adjustments or engaging in negotiations regarding the special budget proposals put forth by the DPP administration," he added.
The much smaller TPP said it has "always had smooth communication with the US side and has continued to engage in in-depth dialogue on issues such as national defense and regional security."
Reuters reported in February that Taiwan was exploring a multi-billion dollar arms purchase from the US, hoping to win support from the new Trump administration.
New weapons packages are expected to focus on missiles, munitions and drones, cost-effective means to help improve Taiwan's chances of rebuffing any military action by China's much larger forces.
For years, China has been steadily ramping up its military pressure to assert its sovereignty claims over Taiwan.
Separately, one of the US officials said the Trump administration would not object to a transit this year through US territory by Lai, whom Beijing labels a "separatist."
Past visits to the US by Taiwanese officials have triggered angry objections by China, which sees such trips as inappropriate.
Taiwan's presidential office spokesperson Lii said there are currently "no plans for a presidential transit through the US at the moment."
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