Lai Reaffirms US Arms Sales, Taiwan Sovereignty
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- President Lai posted on Facebook on May 17, 2026, asserting Taiwan will not be sacrificed or traded and will not give up its free way of life.
- President Lai said people were “very concerned” about the Taiwan content of the Trump‑Xi summit.
- President Lai thanked the United States for its continued attention to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and for its support for Taiwan.
- President Lai reiterated that long‑term Taiwan‑U.S. security cooperation and arms sales are based on the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act.
- President Lai noted that the Trump administration approved an $11 billion arms sales package in December and that a second $14 billion package still awaits the president’s approval.
- President Lai reaffirmed that the Republic of China (Taiwan) is a sovereign, independent, democratic country whose future must be decided by its own people.
Why it matters: Taiwan secures a political win as Lai’s statement underscores the legal basis of U.S. arms sales, reinforcing the island’s deterrence while signaling to Beijing that Washington’s security commitment remains intact despite the Trump‑Xi summit’s ambiguity, and it keeps the $11 billion package approved and the $14 billion deal pending in the spotlight.
