BY EMMANUEL OGBONNA
The Trump administration has approved a sweeping package of arms sales to Taiwan valued at more than $10 billion, a move that is set to significantly bolster the island’s military capabilities while further straining already tense relations between Washington and Beijing.
The State Department announced the approval late Wednesday, timing the disclosure to coincide with a nationally televised address by President Donald Trump. The president’s speech focused largely on domestic matters and did not address foreign policy in detail, nor did it mention China or Taiwan. Even so, the announcement immediately reverberated across the region, underscoring the delicate balance the United States continues to navigate in its relationship with China during Trump’s second term.
U.S.-China relations have fluctuated in recent years, driven primarily by disputes over trade, tariffs and technology, but also by Beijing’s increasingly assertive posture toward Taiwan. China considers the self-governed island part of its territory and has vowed to achieve reunification, by force if necessary, a position that has raised alarms in Washington and among U.S. allies in the Indo-Pacific.
The newly approved package consists of eight separate arms sales agreements and represents one of the largest single tranches of U.S. military support for Taiwan in recent years. At its core are 82 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, known as HIMARS, along with 420 Army Tactical Missile Systems, or ATACMS. Together, those systems are valued at more than $4 billion and are similar to the long-range precision weapons the United States supplied to Ukraine earlier in the decade to counter Russian forces.
In addition, the package includes 60 self-propelled howitzer systems and related equipment worth more than $4 billion, as well as unmanned aerial systems valued at more than $1 billion. Other approved sales cover military software exceeding $1 billion, Javelin and TOW anti-armor missiles worth more than $700 million, helicopter spare parts valued at $96 million, and refurbishment kits for Harpoon anti-ship missiles costing $91 million.
In statements accompanying the approvals, the State Department said the sales advance U.S. national, economic and security interests by supporting Taiwan’s ongoing efforts to modernize its armed forces and maintain a credible defensive posture. The department added that the weapons would enhance regional stability by strengthening deterrence and helping preserve the military balance in the Taiwan Strait.
China’s response was swift and sharply critical. The Foreign Ministry accused the United States of violating diplomatic understandings between the two countries and said the arms sales gravely undermined China’s sovereignty, security and territorial integrity. Beijing warned that the move would heighten tensions and destabilize the region.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said the purchases reflected what he described as “Taiwan independence” forces seeking separation through military means, arguing that the acquisitions would turn the island into a dangerous flashpoint rather than improve its security. He warned that U.S. support for Taiwan through arms sales would backfire and push the Taiwan Strait closer to the risk of military confrontation.
Under U.S. law, Washington is required to assist Taiwan in maintaining sufficient self-defense capabilities, a commitment that has become an enduring source of friction with Beijing. While the United States does not formally recognize Taiwan as a sovereign state, it has long opposed any unilateral attempt to change the status quo by force.
Taiwan’s government welcomed the announcement. In a statement released Thursday, the Defense Ministry expressed gratitude to the United States, saying the approved weapons would help ensure Taiwan retains adequate self-defense capabilities and strengthen its deterrence against potential aggression. The ministry said bolstering Taiwan’s military is essential to maintaining peace and stability in the region.
Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung echoed that sentiment, thanking Washington for its long-standing support and emphasizing that a strong defensive posture is key to preventing conflict in the Taiwan Strait, the narrow body of water separating Taiwan from China’s mainland.
The arms sales come as Taiwan is preparing a significant increase in defense spending. The government has pledged to raise military expenditures to 3.3% of gross domestic product next year, with a longer-term goal of reaching 5% by 2030. Those commitments follow pressure from the Trump administration and the Pentagon, which have urged Taipei to dramatically expand its defense budget, at times suggesting spending as high as 10% of GDP. That proposal has drawn criticism from Taiwan’s opposition Kuomintang party and skepticism among parts of the public.
Last month, President Lai Ching-te announced a special $40 billion budget dedicated to arms purchases and defense upgrades. The funding, to be spread over eight years beginning in 2026, includes plans to develop an advanced air defense network known as “Taiwan Dome,” designed to improve early detection and interception of aerial threats.
The latest arms package was foreshadowed in legislation recently approved by Congress, which President Trump is expected to sign in the coming days. The measure, part of the annual National Defense Authorization Act, places renewed emphasis on countering China’s military rise and expanding U.S. security cooperation with partners in the Indo-Pacific.
China’s embassy in Washington has already condemned the legislation, accusing the United States of portraying China as an aggressor and interfering in its internal affairs. The U.S. Senate passed the bill on Wednesday, setting the stage for another contentious chapter in the evolving relationship between the world’s two largest economies.
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