Taiwan says US arms sales serve Washington’s interests

Taiwan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Francois Wu said continued US weapons sales to Taiwan are in Washington’s national interest, arguing that the island needs enough capability to defend itself and avoid living under Chinese rule. Wu also tied Taiwan’s security to its semiconductor industry, which he said should be able to keep contributing to the world.

Donald Trump and Xi Jinping ended a three-day summit with no major public breakthroughs on contentious issues, including Taiwan. Xi told Trump in Washington that he hoped the US would maintain the correct position of opposing Taiwan independence. Taiwan’s government rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims, while China views the island as its own territory.

Trump has not commented on Taiwan since the Washington meeting or clarified the status of a pending weapons package that he said in May was being held in abeyance. The Trump administration in December approved an $11 billion arms sale to Taiwan, and a second package is worth some $14 billion.

US ambassador to China David Perdue said there had been no change in Trump’s Taiwan policy, including on the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act. China’s People’s Daily reiterated that Taiwan is the core of China’s core interests and the first unbreakable red line in China-US relations.