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Yuanyue Dang

Taiwan’s representative to the United States expressed confidence that Washington would approve a new round of arms sales to Taiwan, though US President Donald Trump has yet to make a decision on the matter.
Asked on Thursday about a pending US$14 billion US arms sale to Taiwan, Alexander Tah-ray Yui, Taipei’s de facto diplomatic envoy, told CNN: “It’s up to President Trump to decide. Once the review is done, we expect that the sale, that the announcement will be made because we need those arms to defend ourselves better.”
Meanwhile, Cheng Li-wun, leader of Taiwan’s main opposition party, who is visiting Washington, said she did not oppose US arms sales to Taiwan.
According to Taiwanese media reports, Cheng, chairwoman of the mainland-friendly Kuomintang (KMT), met on Wednesday with Republican Senator Steve Daines, Republican congressmen John Rose and Chuck Fleischmann, and Democratic congressman Tom Suozzi.
Cheng also met on Wednesday afternoon with Brian Mast, who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee.


Taiwanese media said Cheng stated after the meetings that the KMT’s real position was not opposition to US arms sales, but rather that it “places great importance on cooperation with the United States on arms purchases”, while questioning the procedures by which the ruling Democratic Progressive Party has pushed forward the arms procurement budget.
Cheng told scholars at Harvard last week that a “credible military deterrent” and “a smooth and sincere framework for dialogue” were both important to preventing conflict, according to a KMT statement.
The Chinese embassy in Washington said that it opposes “any official exchanges between the US and China’s Taiwan region, and the US’s arms sales to Taiwan”.
“China urges the US to implement the important common understandings between our two leaders, honour its commitments and statements, exercise extra caution in handling the Taiwan question,” an embassy spokesperson said.
Yui’s remarks came after Taiwan’s military on Wednesday used US-supplied High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or Himars, in a live-fire exercise aimed in the direction of mainland China.
Beijing sees Taiwan as part of China to be reunited by force if necessary. Most countries, including the United States, do not recognise Taiwan as an independent state, but Washington is opposed to any attempt to take the self-ruled island by force and is committed to supplying it with weapons.
Last month, Trump said after his Beijing summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping that he was not looking to have “someone go independent”, adding: “You know, we’re supposed to travel 9,500 miles [15,300 km] to fight a war. I’m not looking for that.”
Beijing has repeatedly urged Washington to scale back arms sales to Taiwan and slow the pace of approvals, while also asking the US side to hold off on any approvals of arms sales to Taiwan around Trump’s visit to Beijing.
Officials in Taipei have repeatedly voiced concerns that delays could affect military readiness.
Senior officials in Washington have said on multiple occasions that the decision on whether to approve the arms sales rests solely with Trump.
Last month, acting US Navy head Hung Cao told a congressional hearing that “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”, referring to the shortage of ammunition caused by the war against Iran.
Also late last month, US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth told the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore that any decision regarding future arms sales to Taiwan would rest with Trump, although he insisted that US policy had not changed.


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Taiwan

Taipei envoy sees US$14 billion arms package moving ahead under Trump

Alexander Tah-ray Yui, Taiwan’s representative to the United States, heads Taipei’s de facto embassy in Washington. Photo: Handout

KMT chief Cheng Li-wun meets Trump ally Steve Daines in Washington

KMT chairwoman Cheng Li-wun visits US Senator Steve Daines’ office in Washington on Wednesday. Photo: CNA

Taiwan opposition leader promotes cross-strait peace during US trip

Taiwan’s main opposition leader Cheng Li-wun started her two-week US trip in San Francisco. Photo: Reuters

Kuomintang chairwoman Cheng Li-wun and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on April 10. Photo: Xinhua

KMT leader says Taiwan can preserve peace by avoiding ‘de jure independence’

Taiwan opposition leader Cheng Li-wun (left) meets Graham Allison, founding dean of Harvard Kennedy School, during a visit to the United States. Photo: KMT

Cheng Li-wun talks Trump, Taiwan and a future leadership run

Cheng Li-wun insisted that “to maintain peace across the Taiwan Strait, the Kuomintang must regain power". Photo: Kyodo

Cheng Li-wun is expected to arrive in Washington on Tuesday, where she will meet as-yet-unidentified politicians and scholars. Photo: Reuters

Protesters march to oppose a scaled-down defence budget passed by the legislature in Taipei on May 23. Photo: AFP

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US president has yet to decide on the sale as Taipei presses its case and opposition KMT figures visit Washington


US president has yet to decide on the sale as Taipei presses its case and opposition KMT figures visit Washington.


Taipei envoy sees US$14 billion arms package moving ahead under Trump

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}US president has yet to decide on the sale as Taipei presses its case and opposition KMT figures visit Washington

US president has yet to decide on the sale as Taipei presses its case and opposition KMT figures visit Washington