Following a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te has underscored Taipei’s determination to defend the regional status quo, highlighting continued US arms sales as a key pillar of stability.
Lai’s remarks on Sunday came amid reports that Trump is considering using arms sales to Taiwan as leverage in negotiations with China. A $14 billion arms package already approved by the US Congress remains under review by the White House.
Trump, speaking on Air Force One after he departed China on Friday, said he would decide “in the near term,” adding he would need to consult “the person who is running Taiwan,” referring to its leadership.
In a social media post, Lai stressed Taiwan’s strategic importance to Indo-Pacific security.
He said China has refused to renounce the use of force, continues to expand its military and seeks to alter the status quo, while Taiwan is committed to maintaining it. He described Beijing as the primary source of regional instability.
Lai said continued US arms sales and closer Taiwan–US security cooperation are essential to preserving stability. The United States, Taiwan’s main security partner, is legally bound to assist the island’s self-defence under the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act.
“This is not only a US security commitment to Taiwan, but also a long-standing and important deterrent against those who undermine regional peace and stability,” Lai said.
Lai said Taiwan’s future must be decided by its people and warned that peace must not be compromised. “Taiwan is a critical node in Indo-Pacific security, the core of global AI and semiconductor development, and an indispensable part of global supply chains,” he said.
China considers Taiwan part of its territory, although the island has been self-governed under a democratically elected government since 1949.
