President Donald Trump is planning to ramp up weapons sales to Taiwan to a level exceeding the pace set during his first term, Reuters reported, a move that risks escalating military tensions with China at a time the two nations are already locked in difficult talks over tariffs.
Two US officials familiar with the matter said they expect US approvals for arms sales to Taipei over the next four years to surpass those in Trump’s first term, according to a Reuters report Friday. New weapons packages are expected to focus on missiles, munitions and drones.
Trump’s first term was marked by 22 military sales notifications for Taiwan valued at US$18.65 billion ($24.05 billion), including backlogged cases and funding for maintenance of existing systems, compared to about US$8.7 billion during the Biden administration, according to a 2024 report from the Cato Institute.
Washington’s move could inflame tensions with Beijing just as bilateral frustration is flaring up again over trade, student visas and access to technology. Beijing considers democratically governed Taiwan to be its territory.
Taiwan Foreign Ministry spokesman Hsiao Kuang-wei declined to comment on the report but said the government has “repeatedly underscored Taiwan’s determination to strengthen its self-defence capabilities.”
Taipei would “also continue to work closely with the US to strengthen regional deterrence and ensure peace, stability, and prosperity in the region,” he said.
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Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said his nation opposes US weapons sales to Taiwan and they should cease.
Washington should “stop creating new factors that could lead to tensions in the Taiwan Strait,” he added at the regular press briefing in Beijing on Friday.
The White House and the State Department didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment made outside working hours in the US.
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The news comes as US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visits Singapore for an annual defence forum where he’s set to rally allies and partners to counter China. Beijing is sending a lower-level delegation to the Shangri-La Dialogue, avoiding a potential encounter with Hegseth.
US-China relations had been on the mend since both sides reached a temporary trade truce in Geneva earlier this month. But that began to change in recent days, with the US announcing it would start revoking some Chinese student visas.
Washington has also introduced new restrictions on the sales of chip design software and reportedly some jet engine parts to China. That came shortly after it sought to block Huawei Technologies Co. from selling advanced AI chips anywhere in the world, prompting an angry rebuke from Beijing.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who helped reach the truce with Beijing officials, said Thursday that trade talks with China are “a bit stalled” and could benefit from a direct call between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Any arms sales from the US to Taiwan would prompt an outcry from China. In 2019, Beijing protested against the Trump administration’s tacit approval for Taiwan to buy dozens of F-16 fighter jets.
