Two U.S. officials reported on May 30 that the United States plans to increase weapons sales to Taipei to levels exceeding President Trump’s first term. This planned increase is a response to China’s growing military pressure on Taiwan and seeks to boost deterrence even though the United States does not maintain official diplomatic relations with Taipei.
Taiwan’s government, led by President Lai Ching-te and the DPP, seeks to raise defense spending to 3% of GDP through a special budget amid opposition-led parliament budget cuts threatening defense funding. The first Trump administration approved about $18.3 billion in arms sales to Taiwan, compared to $8.4 billion during Biden’s term, and officials said new notifications could “easily exceed” those earlier figures.
The increased U.S. arms support and Taiwan’s defense budget efforts aim to reinforce self-defense against China’s sovereignty claims, while U.S. officials press Taiwan’s opposition not to block defense spending.
