Senior US diplomat says Taiwan arms sale does not hinge on China
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- Michael DeSombre, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, told a House Foreign Affairs Committee subcommittee that a pending $14 billion Taiwan arms sale notification to Congress does not hinge on discussions with China.
- Trump had called the weapons package a 'bargaining chip' held in 'abeyance' after his May meeting with Xi Jinping, saying it depended on China — remarks that dismayed officials in Taipei and appeared to depart from the Six Assurances.
- The Six Assurances — the long-standing US policy barring negotiation of Taiwan arms sales with Beijing — still guide US policy, DeSombre confirmed, adding that China 'always' raises the topic in meetings but that is 'not in any way a deviation.'
- DeSombre gave no timeline for a decision, saying the $14 billion package remains under White House review by Trump.
- Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te said the island would not be 'sacrificed or traded' following Trump's meeting with Xi Jinping.
- The Trump administration approved an $11 billion Taiwan arms package in December — the largest ever — even as the current $14 billion deal stays unresolved.
Why it matters: A Trump-appointed diplomat publicly corrected the president's framing of a $14 billion Taiwan arms package at a congressional hearing, reaffirming the Six Assurances framework that has anchored US-Taiwan defense policy for decades. The move signals to Beijing and Taipei that institutional policy lines hold, but the final call remains with Trump, who has not set a timeline.
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