Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said on Sunday that continued weapons sales from the United States remain essential for preserving peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, responding directly to comments by President Donald Trump that suggested a major arms package for the island could be used as leverage in negotiations with China.
Lai’s remarks came amid growing concern in Taipei following Trump’s statements after his summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, where the American leader described a proposed multibillion-dollar weapons deal with Taiwan as a possible “negotiating chip” in broader discussions with China.
The comments have intensified anxiety within Taiwan’s government and security establishment, where officials have spent years strengthening military cooperation with Washington in response to escalating Chinese military pressure around the island.
In a statement posted on social media, Lai thanked Trump for supporting Taiwan since his first term in office and acknowledged previous increases in American military assistance and weapons transfers.
He said the United States had consistently helped Taiwan improve its defensive capabilities through expanded arms sales and closer security cooperation.
“Continued U.S. weapons sales to Taiwan remain indispensable and are a vital element for preserving regional peace and stability,” Lai said.
He also emphasized that Taiwan’s security and the future of the Taiwan Strait should never become subjects of political bargaining between major powers.
“The peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait will not be sacrificed or bargained away,” Lai stated.
The comments reflected mounting unease in Taipei after Trump appeared to cast doubt on the future of a proposed $14 billion American weapons package intended to strengthen Taiwan’s ability to deter possible military action from China.
The package reportedly includes advanced missile systems, anti-drone technology and air-defense equipment designed to counter growing Chinese military capabilities near the island.
Taiwan has been awaiting formal approval from Trump for months.
China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has repeatedly vowed to achieve what it calls “national reunification,” including by force if necessary.
Beijing has dramatically increased military activities around Taiwan in recent years, conducting large-scale exercises, deploying fighter jets near the island and expanding naval operations across the Taiwan Strait.
Taiwan’s government, meanwhile, insists the island is already sovereign and rejects Beijing’s territorial claims.
The issue of American arms sales has long stood at the center of tensions between Washington, Beijing and Taipei.
Since 1979, when the United States switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to the People’s Republic of China, Washington’s Taiwan policy has relied on a delicate framework balancing unofficial ties with Taipei against formal diplomatic relations with Beijing.
Under the Taiwan Relations Act, the United States remains legally obligated to provide Taiwan with defensive weapons and maintain the island’s capacity for self-defense.
Over the decades, successive American administrations have maintained a policy known as “strategic ambiguity,” deliberately avoiding explicit commitments about whether the U.S. military would directly defend Taiwan in the event of conflict.
At the same time, Washington has continued approving significant arms sales to Taiwan despite strong objections from Beijing.
One particularly important component of American policy dates back to the Reagan administration in 1982, when Washington issued a series of assurances to Taiwan. Among those commitments was a pledge that the United States would not consult with China regarding arms sales to Taipei.
Trump’s latest comments appeared to challenge that longstanding understanding.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One after leaving Beijing, Trump said he and Xi had discussed Taiwan arms sales “in great detail” during their summit.
“So what am I going to do? Say ‘I don’t want to talk to you about it’?” Trump said.
The remarks immediately triggered concern among analysts and lawmakers who fear Taiwan’s security could become entangled in broader U.S.-China negotiations over trade, technology and geopolitical competition.
Trump has aggressively pursued economic concessions from China, including expanded purchases of American agricultural products, aircraft and energy exports.
Some observers worry Beijing could seek limits on American support for Taiwan in exchange for economic cooperation.
Taiwanese officials have worked quickly to reassure both domestic audiences and international partners that Washington’s broader policy remains unchanged despite Trump’s rhetoric.
Alexander Yui, Taiwan’s representative to the United States, said on Sunday that it was important for Trump to hear Taiwan’s perspective directly after meeting Xi.
Speaking during American television interviews, Yui stressed that Taiwan was acting defensively rather than provocatively.
“We’re not the ones creating all this trouble,” Yui said. “Those are intruders trying to get into our house.”
He argued that strengthening Taiwan’s military actually contributes to stability by deterring aggression.
“We believe in peace through strength,” he added.
Yui’s comments echoed Taiwan’s longstanding argument that robust self-defense capabilities reduce the risk of war by convincing Beijing that military action would carry unacceptable costs.
American officials have also attempted to calm concerns following Trump’s remarks.
Jamieson Greer, the U.S. trade representative, said on Sunday that there had been no formal shift in American policy toward Taiwan, although he acknowledged that previous administrations had occasionally delayed or paused weapons sales for strategic reasons.
Appearing on multiple U.S. television programs, Greer said Trump was still evaluating how to handle the current weapons package.
“There is no change in U.S. policy toward Taiwan,” he insisted.
The statements, however, appeared to contrast with Trump’s own framing of the weapons package as leverage in negotiations with Beijing.
Analysts say the mixed messaging has contributed to growing uncertainty over how the Trump administration intends to balance economic relations with China against longstanding American security commitments in the Indo-Pacific region.
The timing is particularly sensitive because tensions across the Taiwan Strait have risen sharply in recent years.
China’s military has expanded rapidly under Xi Jinping, while Beijing has become increasingly assertive in pursuing territorial claims in the South China Sea and around Taiwan.
Chinese military aircraft and naval vessels now operate near Taiwan almost daily.
Large-scale military drills conducted by Beijing have simulated blockades and potential invasion scenarios, raising concerns among regional governments and Western allies.
Taiwan has responded by attempting to modernize its military and shift toward an asymmetrical defense strategy focused on mobility, missiles, drones and air-defense systems.
Much of that strategy depends heavily on American technology and military support.
Trump himself had previously pressured Taiwan to spend more on defense and purchase additional American weapons.
As a result, some officials and analysts in Taipei now view his latest comments as especially troubling because they suggest that military assistance Taiwan was encouraged to buy could potentially be delayed or negotiated away.
Political opposition figures in Taiwan have already seized on the controversy.
Critics of President Lai argue that his administration has become too dependent on Washington and insufficiently focused on reducing tensions with Beijing.
Some opposition politicians say Trump’s remarks demonstrate the risks of relying too heavily on American political promises.
At the same time, supporters of Lai warn that any weakening of U.S. support could embolden China and undermine deterrence across the Indo-Pacific region.
Security analysts say Beijing will likely interpret Trump’s comments carefully.
Chinese officials have long sought to pressure Washington into limiting military cooperation with Taiwan and reducing diplomatic engagement with the island.
For Beijing, the possibility that Taiwan arms sales could become negotiable represents a potentially significant strategic opening.
However, analysts caution that Trump’s approach could also create complications for both Washington and Beijing.
If Trump ultimately approves the weapons package after publicly describing it as a bargaining tool, China could respond aggressively through economic retaliation, military pressure or diplomatic escalation.
If the package is delayed or canceled, meanwhile, concerns among U.S. allies about American reliability could deepen significantly.
Several bipartisan groups of American lawmakers have already warned against treating Taiwan as a transactional issue in broader negotiations with China.
Many members of Congress continue viewing Taiwan as a critical democratic partner and an essential part of regional security architecture in Asia.
Taiwan’s government, for now, appears focused on projecting calm and continuity.
Lai’s statement sought to reinforce confidence in the U.S.-Taiwan relationship while also signaling that Taiwan’s security should not become secondary to economic bargaining between major powers.
Yet behind the careful diplomatic language lies growing uncertainty about the future trajectory of American policy.
Taiwan remains one of the world’s most sensitive geopolitical flashpoints, where military competition, economic rivalry and ideological conflict increasingly overlap.
As Washington and Beijing continue navigating an increasingly confrontational relationship, Taiwan’s leaders are confronting difficult questions about how firmly the island can rely on American support in the years ahead.
For Taipei, maintaining strong defense ties with Washington remains central to its national security strategy.
But Trump’s latest remarks have demonstrated how quickly the political foundations of that strategy can become uncertain in an era defined by shifting alliances, transactional diplomacy and intensifying competition between the United States and China.
