Taiwan Thanks US as Xi Presses Trump to Halt Arms Sales — SkimNews
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- Taiwan's government thanked the US for its support and said it was maintaining communications ahead of the Trump-Xi summit in Washington on Thursday.
- Xi Jinping is expected to press Trump to halt Taiwan arms sales altogether during his Washington visit; China reiterated Taiwan is a "red line" the US must not cross.
- Taiwan cabinet spokesperson Michelle Lee said the government views positively "all efforts conducive to stabilising the regional situation" and continues close contact with the US at various levels.
- The Trump administration approved an $11 billion arms package for Taiwan in December — the largest ever — but a second package worth some $14 billion has been held up for months.
- Trump told Xi at a May Beijing summit he was holding the $14 billion second package in abeyance, describing it as a "very good negotiating chip."
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the administration had to "balance broader needs" on Taiwan arms sales, noting that once the US sells equipment, "we don't have it anymore."
Why it matters: The $14 billion second arms package — frozen since May as a "negotiating chip" — is now on the table as Xi demands a full halt to Taiwan arms sales. If Trump concedes, Taipei loses its biggest pending defense pipeline; if he holds firm, he risks the broader agenda with Beijing, which other coverage (rare earths, oil leverage, Australia's stakes) shows is where Xi's real leverage sits.
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