Taiwan’s top diplomat in the United States says the island needs to purchase American weapons to strengthen its self-defense as the threat from China increases. Alexander Yui Tah-ray, who leads the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the U.S., says he has seen no change in Washington’s policy toward Taiwan, which China claims as its own. Speaking in Washington, he frames the effort as defensive, adding that Taiwan is trying to raise defense spending and improve its ability to survive crises.
Both outlets report that a proposed $14 billion arms sale package to Taiwan remains unresolved. The proposal is described as stalled after President Donald Trump returned from a trip to Beijing in May and said he discussed the deal “in great detail” with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. This has contributed to anxiety in Taiwan and concerns among U.S. lawmakers.
The articles note that the Trump administration has not moved forward on the arms sale despite earlier approval by senior lawmakers earlier this year.
