Trump: Taiwan Arms Sales on Table

2026-05-12

Arms sales raised before the meeting

U.S. President Donald Trump said he expects the issue of U.S. arms sales to Taiwan to come up at his summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, scheduled for the 14th and 15th in Beijing. The move could touch on the core of Taiwan policy, drawing attention to the outcome of U.S.-China talks.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said Xi seemed to think, "Don't sell to us," and added, "I'm going to discuss it." When asked about Taiwan, he first emphasized his good relationship with Xi and said of military tensions, "I don't think that's going to happen."

Trump also noted, "Taiwan is far away from us. But Taiwan has a lot of support from Japan and countries in the region." When later asked whether the U.S. should continue selling arms to Taiwan, he said, "I'm going to discuss that with Xi," and explained, "(The Taiwan issue) is just one of many topics I'll be discussing." He also suggested that the Taiwan issue might be raised by Xi's side.

Concerns over policy consistency

Under the "Six Assurances," the foundation of U.S. Taiwan policy, Washington is barred from consulting China in advance on arms sales. If such prior consultations were actually held, the move could be seen as inconsistent with policy.

The U.S. has continued supplying arms to Taiwan under the Taiwan Relations Act, enacted in 1979. In December 2025, it decided on a record $11.1 billion sale, or about 1.74 trillion yen. In March, Reuters reported that the Trump administration might approve an additional $14 billion arms sale after Trump's visit to China. At the time, a trip from the end of March was being arranged.

However, even with funding secured, U.S. production has not kept pace, delaying deliveries of equipment to Taiwan. Fighter jets, tanks, and various missiles are said not to have arrived as originally planned. The U.S. is also depleting equipment and ammunition in its fighting with Iran.

Trump, who values deals with China, still has room to quietly postpone deliveries at Xi's request. Even without changing the public position, delaying deliveries or the procedures for additional funding could amount to a concession to Xi.

Also raised in a February 2026 call

The supply of arms to Taiwan was also discussed in a February 2026 phone call between Trump and Xi. Xi is said to have asked that arms sales to Taiwan be handled "carefully." Trump only said on social media that Taiwan was discussed and did not disclose the details of the exchange.

The call also drew criticism from U.S. opposition lawmakers. After the call, Democratic Representative Ro Khanna issued a statement calling it "a clear violation of the Six Assurances" and arguing that "the Taiwan issue must be off the negotiating table."

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