Trump Makes US Arms Supplies to Taiwan a Bargaining Chip for China, President Lai Urges Realization

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te. (X @ChingteLai)

JAKARTA - Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said the US arms sales deal to his country is a key element for regional peace.

"The continued sale of US weapons to Taiwan and deepening Taiwan-US security cooperation are not only necessary but also key elements in maintaining regional peace and stability," Lai said in a statement on Facebook, Sunday, May 17, quoted by AFP.

Taiwan relies heavily on U.S. security support to deter China's threat of forcibly annexing the island.

In his Facebook post, Lai also stressed that Taiwan's policy of "peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait will never be sacrificed or traded".

Lai's comments came after US President Donald Trump said further large-scale arms sales to Taiwan "depend on China" and are "a very good bargaining tool for us". Trump said this during a visit to Beijing to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday, May 15.

In December 2025, the Trump administration approved a package of arms sales worth 11 billion US dollars to Taiwan. While the second package worth around 14 billion US dollars, is still awaiting Trump's approval.

On Saturday, May 16, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te's spokesperson, Karen Kuo, urged the US to supply weapons to Taiwan. He said the supply could be based on US law and serve as a joint deterrent against regional threats.

He added that China's military threat is "the only destabilizing factor" in the Indo-Pacific region, including the Taiwan Strait.

"Military sales between Taiwan and the US are not only a reflection of the US security commitment to Taiwan as stipulated in the Taiwan Relations Act, but also serve as a reciprocal deterrence against regional threats," he said on Saturday, May 16, quoted by Reuters.