Taipei presses its case for US arms sales after Trump-Xi summit
Taiwanese Deputy Foreign Minister François Wu argued that US arms sales serve Washington’s interests after the Trump-Xi summit. He linked the island’s defence to its freedom and semiconductor industry. A pending package remains unresolved in public, while the US ambassador to China said Washington’s Taiwan policy has not changed.
Geopolitics··Night
Taipei renews its arms-sales case
Taiwanese Deputy Foreign Minister François Wu said on Saturday that selling US weapons to Taiwan serves Washington’s interests and helps the island defend its free political system. His comments followed the meeting between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping in Washington. Reuters and Focus Taiwan both reported Wu’s argument that Taiwan’s security matters beyond the island itself, including to its semiconductor industry. Wu spoke while another US arms package remains pending.[1], [2]
The summit produces no public arms decision
Xi asked Trump to oppose Taiwan independence, according to Beijing’s account of the summit. Trump has not publicly announced a decision on the pending arms package since the Washington meeting. Wu said Taipei remained in contact with Washington, could prepare and make requests, and had not seen a US response to the reported Chinese demand to halt the sale. The public positions therefore leave the package’s fate unresolved.[1], [2]
Washington’s envoy says policy is unchanged
US Ambassador to China David Perdue said on Friday that Washington’s Taiwan policy had not changed after the summit. He cited the Taiwan Relations Act and said the United States sought peace across the strait and rejected coercion. His statement does not itself approve a particular weapons package. Wu linked Taipei’s attention to further international meetings at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum and the Group of Twenty. No public agreement from the Trump-Xi meeting settles the pending sale.[1], [2]
