Taiwan’s top diplomat in the US, Alexander Yui Tah-ray, emphasized the need for American weapons to ensure the island’s self-defense against China’s increasing aggression.

US Arms Sales to Taiwan

A $14 billion arms sale package to Taiwan is currently in limbo, despite having been approved by senior lawmakers earlier this year. The Trump administration has not moved forward with the proposal, with President Trump describing it as a ‘very good negotiating chip’ with China.

Yui stressed that Taiwan will not wait for the US to come to its aid and is willing to acquire US equipment and arms to strengthen its defense. He noted that the threat level from China is ‘actually pretty high’ and that Taiwan needs to increase its defense expenditure to defend itself.

US Policy on Taiwan

Yui stated that there has been no change in the US position on Taiwan, and the Taiwanese government will respect the Trump administration’s tempo in making announcements. The US is obligated by domestic law to provide Taiwan with sufficient hardware to deter aggression from China.

The US has a strategic interest in maintaining a strong defense in the region, and Taiwan is a key part of that strategy. The Pentagon’s national defense strategy seeks to deter China through strength, not confrontation, and includes a plan to build a strong denial defense along a strategic line of islands, including Taiwan.

Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.