Decision on sale of weapons to Taiwan to be made soon, says Trump

By Skylar Woodhouse

  President Donald Trump said that he’s discussing future weapons sales to Taiwan with Chinese President Xi Jinping and teased that he would soon make a decision about future defense support for the self-governing island. 

“I’m talking to him about it. We had a good conversation, and we’ll make a determination pretty soon,” Trump told reporters Monday evening aboard Air Force One.

 

The US’s military support for Taiwan has become one of the key points of contention between Washington and Beijing before the countries’ leaders are slated to meet in April in China.  

China has ramped up political and military pressure on Taiwan in recent years in a bid to reinforce its view that the island is part of its territory. 

 

 

The two leaders spoke earlier this month in a conversation that Trump heralded as “excellent.” But a Chinese account of the call said that the US must “handle the issue of arms sales to Taiwan with prudence,” unusually specific and direct language for Xi, who normally sticks to broad statements on Taiwan.

 

The Financial Times reported earlier this month that the US is preparing a new round of arms sales to Taiwan, which has unsettled Chinese officials. The purchase would be in addition to an $11 billion deal announced in December.

 

The US and Taiwan finalised a trade agreement last week, further linking the two economies. That deal cuts tariff rates, boosts market access for American products in Asia and channels billions of dollars into US energy and technology projects.