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Taipei envoy sees US$14 billion arms package moving ahead under Trump

US president has yet to decide on the sale as Taipei presses its case and opposition KMT figures visit Washington

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Alexander Tah-ray Yui, Taiwan’s representative to the United States, heads Taipei’s de facto embassy in Washington. Photo: Handout
Yuanyue Dangin Washington

Taiwan’s representative to the United States expressed confidence that Washington would approve a new round of arms sales to Taiwan, though US President Donald Trump has yet to make a decision on the matter.

Asked on Thursday about a pending US$14 billion US arms sale to Taiwan, Alexander Tah-ray Yui, Taipei’s de facto diplomatic envoy, told CNN: “It’s up to President Trump to decide. Once the review is done, we expect that the sale, that the announcement will be made because we need those arms to defend ourselves better.”

Meanwhile, Cheng Li-wun, leader of Taiwan’s main opposition party, who is visiting Washington, said she did not oppose US arms sales to Taiwan.

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According to Taiwanese media reports, Cheng, chairwoman of the mainland-friendly Kuomintang (KMT), met on Wednesday with Republican Senator Steve Daines, Republican congressmen John Rose and Chuck Fleischmann, and Democratic congressman Tom Suozzi.

Cheng also met on Wednesday afternoon with Brian Mast, who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

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Taiwanese media said Cheng stated after the meetings that the KMT’s real position was not opposition to US arms sales, but rather that it “places great importance on cooperation with the United States on arms purchases”, while questioning the procedures by which the ruling Democratic Progressive Party has pushed forward the arms procurement budget.

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