US Secretary of State Marco Rubio yesterday said that a proposed US$14 billion arms sale to Taiwan has not been halted, but rather remains under review, as the US' policy toward Taiwan has not changed.
Speaking at a hearing in the US Senate, Rubio said the arms package is still being processed within the administration.
"Paused" is not the right terminology, he said in response to a question on the issue.
Photo: CNA
The package "continues to be under review as it's being processed," he added.
Questions about the arms sale emerged after US President Donald Trump described it as a "good bargaining chip" after a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in Beijing in the middle of last month, raising concerns about Washington's commitment to Taiwan.
On May 21, The Hill reported that Acting US Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao told a US Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee hearing that Washington was withholding the package to ensure it had sufficient munitions for its war with Iran.
"Right now we're doing a pause in order to make sure we have the munitions we need for Epic Fury — which we have plenty," Cao was quoted as saying.
Rubio yesterday said that the proposed US$14 billion package is significant in scale and carries implications for the US defense industrial base and production capacity, thus requiring careful review.
In December last year, the Trump administration approved an arms package worth approximately US$11 billion for Taiwan, he said, describing it as the largest such sale to Taiwan in US history.
Beijing responded "very aggressively" at the time, sending military aircraft across the median line of the Taiwan Strait multiple times, Rubio said.
China "constantly" raises the issue of US arms sales to Taiwan, but Washington does not consult Beijing on such decisions, he said.
"That's in keeping with our long-standing policies, which have not changed," Rubio said, adding that he believes it is important for the US to protect the ‘status quo’ in the Taiwan Strait.
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