US Weighs Further Weapons Supply to Taiwan After Xi Warning
Aboard Air Force One: US President Donald Trump said on Monday he would decide soon on whether to send additional weapons to Taiwan, following a warning from Chinese President Xi Jinping against such a move.
Trump said he had discussed the matter with Xi and described their conversation as positive, adding that he maintained a good relationship with the Chinese leader. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory despite the island being self-ruled.
During a phone call with Trump on February 4, Xi called for mutual respect in China–US relations and cautioned Washington over arms sales to Taiwan. According to China’s state broadcaster, Xi said the Taiwan issue was the most important matter in bilateral relations and urged the United States to handle arms sales to the island with caution.
Trump and Xi are scheduled to meet in Beijing in April.
China’s Communist Party has never governed Taiwan, but Beijing claims the island of 23 million people as its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to annex it.
While Washington does not officially recognize Taiwan, it remains the island’s main military backer, although the tone of US support has softened slightly under Trump. In December, the United States approved $11 billion worth of arms sales to Taiwan, according to Taipei.
Shortly after the approval, China conducted large-scale live-fire drills simulating a blockade around Taiwan’s key ports.
Despite Trump adopting a more measured tone on Taiwan during his second term, the issue continues to strain US–China relations. On Saturday, China’s top diplomat Wang Yi warned the United States against what he described as plotting over Taiwan, saying it could lead to confrontation with China.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference in Germany, Wang said the United States could in future pursue a policy that crosses China’s red line by attempting to split China through Taiwan.
Taiwan has spent billions of dollars modernizing its military over the past decade but is facing increasing US pressure to do more to protect itself. President Lai Ching-te has proposed $40 billion in additional defense spending over eight years, but the plan has been blocked 10 times since early December by the opposition-controlled parliament.
On Thursday, dozens of US lawmakers urged Taiwan’s opposition parties to end their obstruction of the proposal. In an exclusive interview with Agence France-Presse last week, President Lai said he was confident the defense budget would eventually be approved.
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