Taiwan says US arms sales unchanged as $14 billion package stalls

September 29, 2026 at 06:50 PM2 min

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Taiwan's defense minister said Tuesday that existing U.S. arms sales to Taiwan remain unchanged. A record $14 billion arms package remains stalled after Washington paused it following a May summit between President Donald Trump and China's President Xi Jinping. Taiwan says it is in continuous talks with the U.S. over individual deals.

Key Facts

Taiwan's Defense Minister Wellington Koo said Tuesday that existing U.S. arms sales to Taiwan remain unchanged.
A record $14 billion U.S. arms package to Taiwan remains stalled after Washington paused it following the May Trump-Xi summit in Beijing.
Koo said 66 advanced F-16V fighter jets for Taiwan have reached a production stage ready for delivery, though the project was delayed by the pandemic and production line issues.
China has pressed Washington to halt arms sales to Taiwan, most prominently during the May summit between Trump and Xi Jinping.
Tamkang University professor Ma Chun-wei said two more U.S.-China summits are scheduled this year, so neither side wants to break things off and the Taiwan issue will be put aside temporarily.

Arms Sales Status

Taiwan's Defense Minister Wellington Koo told reporters in front of the Legislative Yuan in Taipei that Taiwan is in continuous discussions with the Americans on arms sales. Koo said Taiwan has not received any notice of changes to sales or cooperation. He said he received assurances from the U.S. side that its policy toward the island remained unchanged. The United States paused the $14 billion arms deal after the May meeting between Trump and Xi Jinping.

F-16V Delivery

Koo said 66 advanced F-16V fighter jets have reached a production stage where they are ready to be delivered. The jets for Taiwan were supposed to be delivered in 2024, according to local media, but the project has been delayed by the pandemic and production line issues.

US-China Tensions

U.S. arms sales to Taiwan are a major source of tension between Beijing and Washington because China claims the island as its territory. While the U.S. does not formally recognize Taiwan as a country, it is the island's largest informal ally and bound by law to ensure that Taiwan can defend itself. Taiwan says it purchases arms so that it can defend itself in case of an invasion by China. China's People's Liberation Army sends fighter jets and ships toward the island almost daily. Analysts said they expect U.S. arms sales to continue, though there may be a pause in the short term.