what’s at stake
President Donald Trump’s suggestion that he’s using a stalled $14 billion arms sales package for Taiwan as a “negotiating chip” with China landed with a thud on Capitol Hill.
Taiwan enjoys broad support among members of both US parties. Lawmakers want to see the weapons sales move as anxiety rises that Taiwan — home to a majority of the world’s most advanced computer chips — could face an attack from China, which considers the self-governing island its territory.
Still, there’s disagreement over how far US support for Taiwan should go. Some lawmakers want to see the US defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion, but others have significant reservations.
A White House official told Semafor that Trump would decide on a new Taiwan arms package “in a fairly short time” and noted that he approved a $11 billion package for the self-governing island back in December.
A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington described Beijing’s opposition to US arms sales to Taiwan as “consistent, clear, and rock-firm,” while urging the US to “implement the important common understandings between our two leaders” and “exercise extra caution in handling the Taiwan question.”
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who’s making the case
Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., a member of the Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees, said he supports Taiwan weapons sales and Taiwan “independence” — the latter declaration going further than official US policy:
“I support Taiwan and I support their independence and I support the weapons sales.”
Asked whether Trump should say the US would support Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion, Scott responded: “I’m not going to suggest what he should do. I’d support them.”
Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., said he supports sending defensive arms to Taiwan but argued the US should draw the line at going to war with China to protect the island:
“I think going to war with China over Taiwan would be insane. … I have no problem providing them with defensive weaponry, though. And China shouldn’t worry about it — shouldn’t have any problem with that, either. Why would you object to somebody being able to defend themselves?”
Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., an Armed Services panel member and retired US Navy captain, said the US should be prepared to fight a war with China — but maintain so-called “strategic ambiguity” about coming to Taiwan’s defense under a hypothetical Chinese attack:
“I think it is in our best interest to be able to face any adversary we have with our military at any moment. Whether we would ever make a decision to come to Taiwan’s defense, our policy there has been we don’t talk about that, so I’m not going to get into that aspect of it. But we should equip and train our forces in a way that we would be successful against China, Russia, or both — or anybody else, for that matter.”
Notable
- China is refusing to approve a planned trip by the Pentagon’s top policy official, Elbridge Colby, until Trump makes a decision on the arms sales, the Financial Times reported.
- Some of Trump’s advisers came away from last week’s summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping “thinking a Chinese move on Taiwan was growing more likely,” Axios reported.
- “Taiwan’s future cannot be decided by foreign forces,” Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said in a speech this week, according to The Wall Street Journal. “The future of Taiwan can only be decided by the 23 million people of Taiwan.”
- Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao said Thursday that the US is pausing a $14 billion arms sale to Taiwan as the war in Iran depletes the US’ arms stockpile.