Taiwan’s top diplomat in the United States has issued an urgent plea for American weaponry, asserting the island’s critical need for self-defense capabilities against an escalating threat from Beijing.
Alexander Yui Tah-ray, who heads the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the U.S., confirmed that Washington’s policy toward the self-governing island, which China claims as its own, remains unchanged despite a stalled $14 billion arms sale package.
The proposed arms deal has been in limbo since President Donald Trump’s return from Beijing in May, where he stated he had discussed the proposal “in great detail” with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
This revelation sparked considerable anxiety in Taiwan and raised concerns among lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
“We need those arms for defensive purposes,” Yui told The Associated Press in an interview in Washington. “We’re trying to increase our defense expenditure. We try to increase our ability to defend ourselves better and survive times of crisis.”
The United States, like most nations, does not officially recognize Taiwan as an independent country, as China prohibits any state with diplomatic relations from having formal ties with Taipei.
However, the U.S. stands as the island’s strongest informal backer and primary arms provider.
Yui, while not formally an ambassador, serves as Taiwan’s chief envoy in Washington.
The Trump administration has yet to advance the $14 billion weapons sale proposal, which had received approval from senior lawmakers earlier this year.
President Trump previously characterized the sale as a “very good negotiating chip” with China.
Washington is legally bound by domestic law to furnish Taiwan with sufficient military hardware to deter aggression from China.
Beijing asserts sovereignty over the island and has vowed to seize it, by force if necessary, to achieve what it terms “unification.”
China has consistently opposed U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, an island that has never been under communist Chinese rule.
Emphasizing Taiwan’s commitment to its own defense, Yui stated, “This is our responsibility, so we will not wait and depend for the U.S. cavalry to come and save us.”
He added, “That’s why we’re willing to acquire, to buy U.S. equipment and arms to make ourselves stronger.”
Yui underscored that the scale of weapons sales must be “commensurate” with the threat level, which he described as “actually pretty high” from China.
“First and foremost, we’re not the aggressors. It is the People’s Republic of China who is sending all the planes and ships,” he asserted.
“They’re the ones huffing and puffing. They are the ones who’s trying to annihilate our freedom and democracy in Taiwan.”
Indeed, China routinely dispatches warships and military aircraft near Taiwan and has conducted significant military exercises around the island in recent years.
Beijing views the island as a core interest and has criticized those supporting Taiwanese independence for fostering instability in the Taiwan Strait.
Yui reiterated that there have been no changes to the U.S. position on Taiwan, and that the Taiwanese government respects the Trump administration’s “tempo” for making announcements.
The arms sale enjoys broad support in Congress, with lawmakers raising concerns to Secretary of State Marco Rubio at a recent hearing.
Rubio affirmed that U.S. policy on Taiwan remains unchanged and that Washington does not “consult with the Chinese on these arms deals.”
“We’re aware of their position. They talk about it all the time,” Rubio said of Beijing. “They are not negotiated, and they are not consulted.”
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