Taiwan Defense Minister: $14 Billion Arms Deal Continues in Talks with the US

Taiwan Defense Minister Wellington Koo said that arms sales projects to Taiwan worth about $14 billion are continuing in talks with the US side, and revealed that the 66 F-16 fighter jets on order have entered production. Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded to remarks on Taiwan by the US ambassador to China, while scholars analyzed that the Taiwan issue may be temporarily shelved before the China-US summit, but the long-term direction of arms sales will not change.

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This batch of arms sale equipment to Taiwan approved by the United States, worth about $14 billion, is mainly concentrated on advanced air defense systems, including Patriot 3 MSE interceptor missiles, the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASEMS) and air defense interceptor missiles, as well as the Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS). Taiwan Defense Minister Wellington Koo said on the 29th that this arms sale project is currently continuing in talks with the US side.

Taiwan Deputy Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Chen Yi-chun also welcomed at a press conference on the 29th the remarks made recently in an interview by US ambassador to China Pang Dewei, saying that US policy toward Taiwan will not change. Ma Chun-wei, a professor at Taiwan's Tamkang University, said that given that Washington and Beijing are seeking to maintain stable relations ahead of two additional summits later this year, the Taiwan issue may be temporarily shelved. Within this year there are two more summits between the two sides, that is, between the US and China, so I think neither side really wants the talks to break down, so the Taiwan issue will be temporarily shelved, especially the part concerning arms sales to Taiwan.

And if we look at how much the establishment now values the security of this first island chain, in last year's 2025 National Security Strategy it was actually pointed out that the first island chain is very important to the United States, and Taiwan is the hub, so based on this US official policy drafted by the establishment, I think arms sales to Taiwan will still be an inevitable direction in the future. Taiwan Defense Minister Wellington Koo also said that the 66 F-16CD Block 70/72 fighters ordered by Taiwan have entered production and can be delivered at any time.

Voice of America reporter Liu En-ming reporting from Washington, subtitles by volunteer Yang Qianqian.