Taiwan President Lai Ching-te says continued U.S. arms sales and deeper Taiwan-U.S. security cooperation are essential to maintaining regional peace and stability. In a statement posted on Facebook, Lai argues that U.S. defense support is necessary because Taiwan depends heavily on it to deter China, which he says has threatened to annex the island by force. He also says Taiwan is central to global interests and that peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait are not something Taiwan will trade away.
The remarks come amid ongoing U.S.-Taiwan security ties and policy debate in Washington. One report notes that days earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump said further arms sales to Taiwan would “depend on China” and described them as a negotiating factor.
Across the sources, the common point is that Lai frames U.S. weapons transfers and security cooperation as key elements for deterrence and regional stability, while emphasizing Taiwan’s strategic importance and its priority of maintaining cross-strait peace.
