World News
US approves record $11.1 billion arms package for Taiwan amid rising China tensions
The US has approved its largest-ever $11.1 billion arms package for Taiwan, including HIMARS and drones, as China steps up military pressure.
The United States has approved a record $11.1 billion arms sales package for Taiwan, marking the largest-ever US weapons deal for the self-ruled island amid escalating military pressure from China.
The approval, announced on Wednesday, is the second arms sale to Taiwan under President Donald Trump’s current administration and comes as Beijing intensifies both military drills and diplomatic efforts to assert its claim over the island, which Taipei firmly rejects.
According to Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense, the proposed package includes eight major items, among them HIMARS rocket systems, howitzers, Javelin anti-tank missiles, Altius loitering munition drones, and spare parts for existing military equipment.
“The United States continues to assist Taiwan in maintaining sufficient self-defence capabilities and rapidly building credible deterrent power,” the ministry said, adding that the focus on asymmetric warfare is essential for preserving regional peace and stability.
The arms deal has entered the Congressional notification stage, during which the US Congress can block or modify the sale, though support for Taiwan traditionally enjoys broad bipartisan backing.
In separate statements detailing the sale, the Pentagon said the package serves US national, economic and security interests by supporting Taiwan’s military modernisation and helping it maintain a “credible defensive capability”.
At Washington’s urging, Taiwan has been restructuring its armed forces to emphasise asymmetric warfare — relying on mobile, cost-effective and precision systems such as drones and rocket artillery to counter a much larger adversary.
Taiwan’s Presidential Office spokesperson Karen Kuo welcomed the decision, saying the government would continue defence reforms and strengthen whole-of-society resilience. “We are determined to defend ourselves and safeguard peace through strength,” she said, thanking the United States for its continued support.
Last month, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te announced a $40 billion supplementary defence budget covering the period from 2026 to 2033, stressing that there was “no room for compromise on national security”.
China’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to the announcement.
Rupert Hammond-Chambers, president of the US-Taiwan Business Council, said systems such as HIMARS — widely used by Ukraine against Russian forces — could play a critical role in deterring or defeating a potential Chinese invasion. He described the package as a clear response to growing threats from Beijing and Washington’s expectation that allies shoulder more responsibility for their own defence.
Foreign Minister’s US Visit
The arms approval followed an unannounced visit last week by Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung to the Washington area, where he met US officials, according to sources cited by Reuters. The agenda of the meetings was not disclosed, and Taiwan’s foreign ministry declined to comment.
While the US formally recognises China, it maintains unofficial relations with Taiwan and remains the island’s most important arms supplier. Under US law, Washington is obligated to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself — a policy that remains a major source of friction with Beijing.
Despite concerns that President Trump’s dealmaking approach and a planned meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping next year could weaken support for Taiwan, US officials have indicated plans to expand arms sales beyond levels seen during Trump’s first term.
The Trump administration’s recently unveiled national security strategy reaffirmed the goal of deterring conflict over Taiwan by maintaining military overmatch against China, language that was welcomed in Taipei. The strategy also highlighted Taiwan’s strategic importance due to its position between Northeast and Southeast Asia.
China continues to claim Taiwan as its own territory, a stance the Taiwanese government strongly rejects.
