Why the Delay in Arms Sales to Taiwan? Rubio Emphasizes It's Not Targeting Taiwan: U.S. Military Needs Come First, Production Capacity Is Truly Limited

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the media that delays in American arms sales to Taiwan are partly due to Washington's potential military demands in other regions and limitations in domestic defense industrial capacity. Rubio, who also serves as the President's National Security Advisor, revealed on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly that people often assume the U.S. views arms sales through a narrow, region-specific lens, but many of these procurements involve broader considerations, including balancing U.S. industrial capacity and defense industry capabilities.

The Hill quoted Rubio as saying the Trump administration is not targeting Taiwan, but when Washington sells certain weapons systems, it means the U.S. military itself no longer possesses those systems. While they can be replenished in the future, they are simply unavailable at present.

He added that, therefore, every time the U.S. conducts an arms sale—not just to Taiwan but to any partner—it must first consider the needs of the U.S. military across different regions worldwide, achieve a balance, and then assess whether selling these systems would create a shortfall for U.S. forces. Currently, this review process is underway.

Japanese Self-Defense Forces participated in a multinational joint military exercise in the Philippines, training alongside U.S. Marines. (AP)

Rubio emphasized that while the U.S. military has "ample" ammunition to carry out strategic operations against Iran, it simultaneously bears strategic responsibilities in other parts of the world. The U.S. military has routine obligations in the Indo-Pacific region, responsibilities in the Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) area of operations are increasing, and it must also uphold defense commitments to NATO allies. According to him, informing local U.S. forces anywhere in the world that five personnel or two aircraft will be reduced could trigger widespread panic, so all decisions require comprehensive, strategic consideration.

Republican Senators Call for Unfreezing Military Aid

Shortly before Rubio made these remarks, four Republican senators, led by senior Senator Mitch McConnell, sent a joint letter to Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ahead of President Trump's summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, urging the unfreezing of long-delayed, multi-billion-dollar security assistance to Taiwan.

In their two-page letter, the senators pointed out that the State Department intends not to disburse $300 million in Foreign Military Financing (FMF), the Pentagon has failed to allocate $1 billion for the "Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative," and the Trump administration has decided to temporarily withhold $14 billion in Foreign Military Sales (FMS) to Taiwan. The senators warned the White House that if the U.S. sacrifices allies' critical deterrence capabilities to maintain superficial diplomatic gains with Beijing, it will undermine its credibility and influence in the Indo-Pacific region.

Secretary of State Rubio attending the United Nations General Assembly. (AP)

Trump previously revealed that during his May visit to Beijing, he discussed the withheld $14 billion arms sale package with Xi Jinping, describing it as a "bargaining chip." In a Fox News interview at the time, Trump said this was a "very good bargaining chip."

The arms sale package he referred to was approved by Congress in January but could not proceed until the President formally signed and submitted it. The Trump administration's previous arms sale to Taiwan occurred in December 2025, when it approved a total of $11 billion in arms, including HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems, Javelin anti-tank missiles, and howitzers.