Will $14 Billion in U.S. Arms Sales to Taiwan Materialize? Lawmaker's Visit Hints at Good News, but Chen Yi-xin Cools Enthusiasm: 'Only Trump Decides'

Michael McCaul, Honorary Chairman of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee, visited Taiwan and met with President Lai Qing-de on the 4th. He stated that U.S. arms sales to Taiwan would not be affected by U.S.-China relations and expressed confidence that President Donald Trump would soon submit another $14 billion arms sale package to Congress. In response, Chen Yi-xin, spokesperson for the Kuomintang (KMT), appeared on a radio program today (5th) and poured cold water on the announcement, saying, 'McCaul is a good friend of Taiwan, but in the U.S. government, only Trump makes the decisions. Others are merely expressing wishful thinking. McCaul’s comments were just polite remarks—we should listen, thank him, and move on.'

Chen pointed out that McCaul is not the current chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee but holds an honorary title. While McCaul has visited Taiwan before during his tenure on the committee and naturally offers friendly remarks, the so-called second tranche of $14 billion in arms sales under the Trump administration has been discussed since late last year but remains unfulfilled—'all we hear is footsteps on the stairs.' He further noted a significant shift over the past year: the U.S. has violated the Reagan-era 'Six Assurances' by including arms sales to Taiwan as a topic in negotiations with Beijing. Trump has mentioned 'Beijing’s views' on Taiwan arms sales on multiple occasions.

Chen stated that although U.S. officials emphasize that their policy toward Taiwan remains unchanged, the violation of the Six Assurances alone undermines credibility. When Taiwan’s security and arms sales become bargaining chips in U.S.-China negotiations, Taiwan becomes a pawn—this, he warned, is Taiwan’s greatest crisis.

Currently, Trump’s top priority is whether Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit the United States on September 24. If Xi visits, it could benefit Trump’s midterm election prospects; if not, it could harm them. However, Chen emphasized that Beijing’s decision on Xi’s visit will heavily weigh the $14 billion arms sale to Taiwan, revealing how the U.S. uses arms sales as a strategic lever. Chen questioned the Lai administration’s continued praise of strong U.S.-Taiwan relations and repeated assurances that arms sales will come through, reminding them, 'Lai Qing-de, you haven’t even been able to set foot in the U.S.! Have you ever stepped on American soil?' He noted that former President Tsai Ing-wen transited through New York just one month after taking office, while Lai has not visited the U.S. in over two years.