Taiwan’s president has stressed that arms purchases from the United States are “the most important deterrent” of regional conflict and instability after President Donald Trump called into question continued US support of Taiwan following his visit to China.
US arms sales to Taiwan and security cooperation between the two sides are not only governed by law but are also a catalyst for regional peace and stability, President Lai Ching-te said in a statement.
“We thank President Trump for his continued support for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait since his first term, including the continuous increase in the scale and amount of arms sales to Taiwan,” he said on Sunday.
His statement came days after Trump raised doubts over his willingness to continue to sell arms to Taiwan that China claims as its own territory, to be retaken by force if necessary.
The US, like all countries that have formal ties with China, doesn’t recognise Taiwan as a country but has been the island’s strongest backer and arms supplier.
Trump already approved in December a record-breaking $11 billion arms package to Taiwan, including missiles, drones, artillery systems and military software.
In an interview aired Friday on Fox News, just as Trump wrapped up a high-stakes visit to China, he said he has yet to greenlight a new $14 billion arms package to Taiwan and that it “depends on China".
“It’s a very good negotiating chip for us, frankly,” he said.
His comments raised concerns on the island, which the Taiwanese government has sought to dispel, noting that the US official policy on Taiwan has not changed.
“Taiwan will not provoke or escalate conflict, but it will also not relinquish its national sovereignty and dignity, or its democratic and free way of life, under pressure,” Lai said in his statement, calling China “the root cause of undermining regional peace and stability and attempting to change the status quo.”
China has framed Taiwan as “the most important issue in China-US relations” during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent talks with Trump.
In one of his strongest statements to date, Xi on Thursday warned Trump of “clashes and even conflicts” if the issue of Taiwan was not handled properly.
