The White House on Wednesday declined to comment on reports that President Trump is considering whether to postpone or cancel an $11 billion arms package to Taiwan as he seeks to maintain a planned April summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping amid pressure from Beijing.
Trump Weighs Arms Sale Amid China Summit Plans
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt stated, “I don’t have any announcement or updates to share.” Trump previously told journalists on Monday that he had discussed the potential sales with Xi. “I’ve talked to him about it. We had a good conversation, and we’ll make a determination pretty soon,” Trump said, adding that he has a “very good relationship with President Xi.”
The Wall Street Journal reported that the proposed arms sale to Taiwan is currently in limbo due to increasing pressure from Beijing.
Concerns Over ‘Six Assurances’
Trump’s comments have raised concerns that he may be violating the spirit of the “Six Assurances,” a framework governing US-Taiwan-Mainland dynamics. Under these assurances, established by the Ronald Reagan administration in 1982, Washington pledged not to consult with or seek pre-approval from Beijing regarding weapon sales to Taiwan.
Ryan Hass, China director at the Brookings Institution and a former National Security Council director, stated on X that Beijing has long sought to condition Washington to consult with it before Taiwan arms sales. “Previous administrations have refused, in line with Six Assurances. Regardless of what Trump decides, Trump has gifted Xi a win by setting new precedent.”
Sean King, senior vice-president with Park Strategies, argued, “Under no circumstances should any US president ever weigh any Taiwan arms sale vis-a-vis the possibility of a Beijing visit. Taiwan needs protection and we should provide it as we see fit.”
US Policy and China’s Position
Beijing views Taiwan as a part of China to be reunited, by force if necessary. While most countries, including the US, do not recognize Taiwan as an independent state, Washington opposes any forceful attempt to take the self-governed island and is legally committed to supplying it with weapons.
The Chinese embassy in Washington stated China firmly opposes any arms sales to the “Taiwan region” and expects the US to “handle the issue of arms sales in Taiwan with prudence.”
Balancing Act for Trump
Analysts suggest Trump is attempting to balance competing priorities. “He doesn’t want to look weak, and so he wants to handle it in a way that he doesn’t offend Xi Jinping and undermine the prospects of having a good summit,” said Bonnie Glaser, managing director with the German Marshall Fund of the United States. Glaser also noted the ambiguity in the Six Assurances language, which is US policy and not a law.
“But he also wants to be seen as tough. And he doesn’t want to be seen as abandoning Taiwan. He knows there’s enormous support in Congress for Taiwan.” Democrats on the House Foreign Affairs Committee stated on social media that it is “unacceptable for Trump to run America’s Taiwan policy or arms sales decisions by Beijing for pre-clearance.”
Avoiding Escalation
Trump has recently sought to avoid actions that could jeopardize a trade truce or return US-China relations to the strained state seen last year during a protracted trade war. This also follows evidence that China’s growing leverage is causing the White House to pause. Trump rolled back tariffs last year after China halted shipments of rare earth minerals and stopped buying US soybeans, impacting his rural supporters.
Recently, the Pentagon announced and then abruptly withdrew its latest list of Chinese military companies spanning the biotech, AI, drone and semiconductor sectors. Beacon Policy Advisors reported that “The clear signal coming from the Trump administration is that it simply wants to maintain the current status quo ahead of April’s summit and avoid an escalatory cycle similar to what happened in October,” before Trump and Xi met in Busan and agreed to a one-year trade truce.
Potential Delay Expected
Analysts anticipate Trump will find a way to postpone the arms sale. Jeremy Chan, senior analyst at Eurasia Group, stated, “Xi clearly messaged in his phone call to Trump earlier this month that another arms package before April could imperil the visit, and neither side wants that to happen.”
Delays in arms sales to Taiwan are not unprecedented. A $8.1 billion package of F-16V fighter aircraft was reportedly delayed in 2019 while the White House negotiated a trade deal with Beijing. A $1.4 billion package was also held up in 2017 while Washington sought China’s help in negotiating with North Korea.
Glaser added, “It’s just not unusual for people to look and say, ‘Oh, we have something coming up.’ That’s part of diplomacy. It’s about minimising the negative impact when you make a decision.”
Another concern is whether Taiwan’s legislature will approve funding for the $11 billion arms package, as the island’s political bodies are currently locked in a dispute over a proposed $40 billion defence budget.
Related reading
Discover more from Archyworldys
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
