6 months ago
1
The United States approved $11 billion-worth of arms to Taiwan, Taipei said Thursday (December 18, 2025), announcing 1 of the largest weapons packages for the land and prompting an aggravated backlash from China.
While Washington is traditionally Taiwan's biggest arms supplier, remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump raised doubts astir his willingness to support the antiauthoritarian island.
Taiwan has ramped up its defence spending successful the past decennary arsenic China has intensified subject pressure, but Mr. Trump's medication has pushed the land to bash much to support itself.
The arms merchantability announced connected Thursday (December 18, 2025), which inactive needs U.S. Congressional approval, would beryllium the 2nd since Mr. Trump returned to bureau successful January, aft a $330 cardinal merchantability of parts successful November.
The latest, overmuch bigger cache features HIMARS rocket systems, howitzers, anti-tank missiles, drones and different equipment, according to Taipei's Foreign Ministry.
"This is the 2nd arms merchantability to Taiwan announced during the Trump administration's 2nd term, erstwhile again demonstrating the U.S.'s steadfast committedness to Taiwan's security," Taipei's Foreign Ministry said.
Beijing reacted angrily connected Thursday (December 18, 2025), powerfully condemning the merchantability announcement.
"China urges the United States to abide by the one-China principle... and instantly halt the unsafe actions of arming Taiwan," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told a property conference, adding that Beijing would instrumentality "resolute and forceful measures" to safeguard its territorial integrity.
Beijing claims Taiwan arsenic portion of its territory nether the one-China principle, and has threatened to usage unit to bring the self-ruled land nether its control.
The imaginable size of the merchantability rivals the $18 cardinal authorised nether erstwhile U.S. president George W. Bush successful 2001, though that was yet downsized aft commercialized negotiations.
Mr. Bush ended up selling $15.6 billion-worth of weapons to Taiwan implicit his 8 years successful office.
During Mr. Trump's archetypal term, the United States approved $10 cardinal successful arms income to Taiwan, including $8 cardinal for combatant jets.
The latest bundle is expected to soon person a Congressional rubber stamp, fixed the cross-party statement connected Taiwan's defence.
Taiwan maintains its ain defence manufacture but the land would beryllium massively outgunned successful a struggle with China, and truthful remains heavy reliant connected U.S. arms.
The latest arms merchantability shows Washington has continued to assistance Taipei successful "rapidly gathering robust deterrence capabilities", Taiwan's Defence Ministry said successful a statement.
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te's authorities has vowed to ramp up defence spending to much than 3% of the GDP adjacent twelvemonth and 5% by 2030, pursuing U.S. pressure.
It is besides plans to question up to NT$1 trillion successful peculiar backing to upgrade the island's aerial defence systems and summation capableness to nutrient and store ammunition.
The defence spending proposals request backing from the island's opposition-controlled parliament earlier they tin instrumentality effect.
China deploys subject craft and warships astir Taiwan connected a near-daily basis, which analysts picture arsenic "grey-zone" operations — coercive tactics that autumn abbreviated of an enactment of war.
Taipei's Defence Ministry said 40 Chinese subject aircraft, including fighters, choppers and drones, arsenic good arsenic 8 naval vessels, were detected astir Taiwan successful a 24-hour play ending aboriginal Thursday (December 18, 2025).
On Tuesday (December 16, 2025), Beijing's 3rd and newest craft carrier, the Fujian, sailed done the Taiwan Strait, according to Taipei.
