Taipei: U.S. President Donald Trump is anticipated to present a $14 billion arms package for Taiwan to Congress in the near future, senior Republican lawmaker Michael McCaul announced on Tuesday. He emphasized that U.S. arms sales to Taiwan would remain unaffected by Washington's diplomatic relations with Beijing.
According to Focus Taiwan, McCaul, who serves as chairman emeritus of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee, made these comments after being awarded the Order of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon by President Lai Ching-te during a ceremony at the Presidential Office in Taipei. McCaul highlighted the recent approval of a historic $11 billion foreign military sales package by Congress last December and expressed confidence that President Trump would soon send an additional $14 billion package to Congress containing critical military defense articles.
The proposed arms package is still under review by the Trump administration, with formal notification to Congress pending. In a recent interview following his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump described the arms package as a strategic "negotiating chip" in discussions with Beijing. McCaul underscored that U.S. policy prohibits diplomatic ties with China from hindering arms sales to Taiwan, referencing former U.S. President Ronald Reagan's stance that the U.S. does not consult with the People's Republic of China on such matters.
McCaul stressed the importance of deterrence as a primary objective, citing the significance of drone technology and production capabilities observed during a recent visit to the battlefield in Ukraine. He encouraged Taiwan to collaborate with democratic nations that have pioneered advancements in modern warfare to enhance its defense, resilience, and cybersecurity.
During his remarks, President Lai expressed gratitude to McCaul for his consistent support of Taiwan's efforts to bolster its national defense capabilities. Lai noted McCaul's advocacy for expedited arms delivery to Taiwan and reaffirmed Taiwan's commitment to national defense reforms, asymmetric capabilities, and the establishment of drone combat and defense systems.
Lai further stated that Taiwan is eager to enhance its cooperation with the U.S., seeking expansion beyond arms procurement to joint development and co-production initiatives, aiming to safeguard peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region collaboratively.
McCaul's visit to Taiwan follows his previous trip in May 2024 and included his participation in the 10th Ketagalan Forum in Taipei earlier on Tuesday.