Trump rejected military aid package to Taiwan in favour of trade deal with China, - WP
US President Donald Trump has refused to approve a $400 million arms package for Taiwan as he tries to negotiate a trade deal and a potential summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
According to Censor.NET, this was reported by The Washington Post.
According to five people familiar with the matter, Trump refused to approve more than $400 million in military aid to Taiwan this summer as he tries to negotiate a trade deal and a potential summit with Xi Jinping.
The publication's sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the decision marked a complete reversal of US policy toward Taiwan, which China considers its territory.
Two people familiar with the matter said the aid package was worth more than $400 million and would be "more lethal" than previous aid to Taiwan, including ammunition and autonomous drones.
In the statement, a White House representative noted that the decision on the aid package had not yet been finalised. Taiwan's unofficial embassy in Washington declined to comment.
According to representatives of the US armed forces and intelligence, Xi Jinping has instructed the Chinese armed forces to be ready to seize Taiwan by 2027.
Congress provides the administration with $1 billion per year for security assistance to Taiwan, and this amount is reset at the end of the fiscal year in September. The Biden administration approved a $571 million package shortly before the end of its term.
The Trump administration believes that Taiwan, which has a large, prosperous economy, should buy its own weapons, similar to European countries — a view shared by some Democrats in Congress.
During a meeting between US and Taiwanese defence officials last month, the two sides agreed on a large-scale arms sale package, according to four people familiar with the negotiations.
Taiwan plans to pay for a new batch of weapons, which could cost billions of dollars, by passing an additional defence spending bill currently being debated in the legislature.
According to these sources, the package will consist almost exclusively of "asymmetric" equipment such as drones, missiles and sensors for monitoring the island's coastline. However, delivery of this new generation of weapons could take years. Taipei is already waiting for billions of dollars worth of weapons, including F-16 fighter jets and Harpoon anti-ship missiles.
Taiwan plans to spend 3.3% of its GDP on defence next year and aims to increase that figure.
This week, the administration unofficially informed Congress of a possible $500 million arms sale to Taiwan, according to a congressional aide who spoke on condition of anonymity. He also declined to specify what equipment would be purchased.
