Decision on Taiwan Arms Sale Imminent, US Official Says Trump 2.0 Approval Total Already Exceeds Biden's

Central News Agency Message

(Central News Agency reporter Hou Tzu-ying, Washington, 15th) With the Trump-Xi meeting concluded, U.S. President Donald Trump stated today that a decision on an arms sale package to Taiwan will be made very soon, adding that he will speak with 'the people who govern Taiwan.' A senior U.S. official, in response, only commented that the $11.1 billion arms sale to Taiwan approved by Trump late last year means the total approved in the past year has already exceeded the sum of the Biden administration's four years.

Trump made the remarks to the accompanying press aboard Air Force One on his way back to the U.S. after concluding his visit to Beijing today. He said he and Chinese President Xi Jinping 'talked a lot' about the Taiwan issue, but he made no commitments to Xi on the matter.

When asked about U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, Trump said the two had discussed the issue and that he would make a decision on it very soon. He also added that he would speak with 'the people who are currently governing Taiwan,' without specifying who he was referring to.

In response to a query from the Central News Agency about whether Trump plans to speak with Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, a senior U.S. official responded via email on background, only stating, 'As President Trump said, he will make a decision on a new arms sale to Taiwan in a short time.'

The official mentioned that Trump approved an $11.1 billion arms sale to Taiwan last December, which is 'consistent with U.S. policy since the 1950s,' but did not specify which policy.

The official also said that the total value of arms sales to Taiwan approved during Trump's first presidential term exceeded that of any other U.S. president. And in his second term, the cumulative total of arms sales to Taiwan approved in his first year has already surpassed the total of the Joe Biden administration's four years.

According to statistics from the US-Taiwan Business Council on arms sales to Taiwan by previous U.S. presidents, the cumulative total for the Clinton administration was $8.702 billion, the George W. Bush administration was $15.614 billion, the Obama administration was $13.962 billion, Trump 1.0 was $18.278 billion, the Biden administration was $8.377 billion, and Trump 2.0 has so far reached $11.435 billion.

Before Trump's visit to China, several bipartisan members of the U.S. Congress sent a letter to Trump, urging him to promptly advance a long-delayed $14 billion arms sale to Taiwan. (Editor: Chen Hui-ping) 1150516