Taiwan expects Trump to approve $14 billion arms package, envoy says

October 5, 2026 at 03:56 AM2 min

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Taiwan's envoy to the U.S., Alexander Yu, said he expects President Donald Trump to approve a new $14 billion arms package for the island. A senior U.S. administration official said Trump would decide "quite quickly," without giving a timeframe. The expectation comes as Trump has increased contacts with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

Key Facts

Taiwan's representative in the U.S., Alexander Yu, said he expects President Donald Trump to approve a new $14 billion arms package for the island.
A senior U.S. administration official told Bloomberg that Trump would make a decision on the arms package "quite quickly," without specifying a timeframe.
In December, Trump approved a record $11 billion arms sale to Taiwan.
The U.S. State Department stressed that U.S. law prohibits arms sales to China and that Washington has no plans for such deliveries.
The U.S. considers a Chinese invasion of Taiwan next year unlikely, according to Reuters.

Arms Package Expectations

Taiwan's representative in the United States, Alexander Yu, said he expects President Donald Trump to approve a new $14 billion arms package for the island. According to Yu, a decision on the arms deliveries could be made more quickly, but Taiwan expects to receive the weapons it needs. A significant part of the package is expected to consist of air defense systems, Bloomberg reported. Yu said the United States understands the threat Taiwan faces and that he is confident Washington will provide the needed equipment.

U.S.-China-Taiwan Dynamics

A senior U.S. administration official told Bloomberg that Trump would make a decision on the arms package "quite quickly," but did not specify a timeframe. Uncertainty surrounding the deliveries arose amid Trump's contacts with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Trump earlier called arms sales to Taiwan "a very good bargaining chip" in negotiations with Beijing. Yu stressed that ahead of Trump and Xi's upcoming meetings, Taiwan's main task is to ensure the island does not become a bargaining chip between the two countries. In December, Trump approved a record $11 billion arms sale to Taiwan, while the State Department stressed that U.S. law prohibits arms sales to China.