Taiwan holds drills as Xi begins US visit (Img: X)
New Delhi: Taiwan has expressed confidence that US arms sales to the island will continue as Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Washington for talks with US President Donald Trump, despite Beijing’s continued opposition to the deals.
Taiwanese officials said both the US administration and Congress remained supportive of the island’s self-defence requirements. Their comments followed China’s calls for Washington to halt arms sales and the US decision to pause a USD 14 billion package after Trump and Xi held a summit in Beijing in May.
Speaking to reporters in Tainan, Taiwanese Defence Ministry spokesperson Maj. Gen. Chiao Fu-chun said the US government and Congress had "repeatedly expressed support for Taiwan's self-defence capabilities".
He added, "We will continue to maintain close contact with the US Department of Defence and continue to push forward the arms procurement deal between Taiwan and the US, ensuring it proceeds as planned."
Trump has previously described arms sales to Taiwan as a "very good negotiating chip" with China. US law requires Washington to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself. Although the US does not recognise Taiwan as a country, it remains the island’s main arms supplier and strongest informal backer. Washington approved another USD 11 billion arms package for Taiwan in December.
Hours before Xi began his three-day state visit to the US, Taiwan’s military conducted live-fire drills featuring a domestically developed eight-wheeled armoured vehicle known as The Cheetah.
The vehicle can be equipped with a 105-millimetre cannon, has a top speed of around 100 kph and an operational range of about 500 kilometres. Taiwanese Maj. Gen. Chen Chien-chung said it could operate across different terrains and was suitable for urban warfare.
Trump has also urged Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te to increase defence spending. Taiwan’s defence budget is expected to exceed 3 per cent of GDP for the first time in 2027, while Lai has pledged to raise it to 5 per cent by 2030.
