Top US official reaffirms Taiwan arms sales independent of Beijing

A pending US arms sale notification to Congress for Taiwan is not contingent on discussions with China, the State Department's top diplomat for East Asia said, despite earlier remarks by President Donald Trump suggesting otherwise, Taipei Times reports.

Trump has repeatedly sparked uncertainty over a proposed US$14 billion weapons package aimed at strengthening Taiwan's deterrence against potential Chinese military action. Last month, following a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump said he had discussed the package with Xi.

In an interview after the meeting, Trump described the proposed arms sale as a valuable "bargaining chip" that he was holding in "abeyance," adding that its future depended on China.

Those remarks unsettled officials in Taiwan and appeared to depart from the long-standing US policy embodied in the "Six Assurances," under which Washington has pledged not to negotiate arms sales to Taiwan with Beijing.

Testifying before a US House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs subcommittee, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Michael DeSombre was asked to confirm that the decision on whether to proceed with the weapons sale was not dependent on talks with Beijing.

"Correct," DeSombre replied.

DeSombre, who was nominated to his post by Trump, also reaffirmed that the "Six Assurances" continue to guide US policy toward Taiwan.

"I think we can assure you that whenever we meet with China, they raise the questions of Taiwan and Taiwan arms sales," he said. "So, it's something that is always discussed with them, but that is not in any way a deviation from the six assurances."

He did not provide a timeline for a decision on the proposed arms package, saying only that it remains under review by Trump.

Although the United States does not maintain formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, it remains the island's most important international supporter and its largest supplier of defensive weapons. Under US law, Washington is required to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself.

Despite concerns raised by Trump's comments, his administration approved an US$11 billion arms sales package for Taiwan in December last year, the largest such package ever authorized.

By Vafa Guliyeva