U.S. pauses $14bn Taiwan arms sale just days after Trump’s summit with Xi Jinping
www.independent.co.uk
Taipei says it’s yet to receive formal notice as concerns grow over Washington’s commitment to island’s security

Taipei says it’s yet to receive formal notice as concerns grow over Washington’s commitment to island’s security

The U.S. is pausing a $14bn arms sale to Taiwan as it diverts munitions to sustain the war against Iran, exposing mounting anxieties over rapidly depleting stockpiles.

It comes just days after Donald Trump returned from a high-profile summit with Xi Jinping in China, a country that claims sovereignty over self-governed Taiwan and has threatened to “reunite” it with the mainland by force, if necessary.

Trump said he had discussed the matter of the $14bn arms deal “in great detail” with Chinese president Xi Jinping and would make a decision “over the next fairly short period”, breaking decades of U.S. policy that states decision on Taiwan should not be made in collaboration with Beijing.

  • perestroika@slrpnk.netEnglish
    2·
    13 days ago

    The people of Taiwan do not need more guns.

    The people of Taiwan, as represented by the government and the Legislative Yuan, do think they need more guns.

    Probably because of the swarms of Chinese aircraft which regularly practise attacking them, and the even greater swarms which sit and wait.

    I wish there was a diplomatic solution, because any military action in the strait of Taiwan would cause a rapid and severe global crisis.

    But the diplomatic action should not be abandoning Taiwan, because that won’t avert a crisis. If Taiwan is attacked, it will fight and land strikes on China too, resulting in exactly the kind of crisis everyone should avoid.

      • perestroika@slrpnk.netEnglish
        1·
        13 days ago

        I live in a country of 1 million next to a “global superpower” (also see “second army in the world”) (also see “the Russian Federation”).

        And I swear by the name of Nestor Makhno that if they’re going to try invading here too, I will be bombing military objects around St. Petersburg.

        This is the same thing that the rest of NATO swears, not all by the name of Makhno, some have different ideas about what might work. :)

        Deterrence works. People have the right to self-determination. They realize this right with alliances and guns. If a neigbour has plans, is big, has problematic manners: then with lots of guns. We learnt that Ukraine did not have enough guns to deter, and as a result Russia tried an invasion. Taiwan has geopolitical leverage with its chip industry and a sea that somewhat protects, but may have learnt the same lesson from Ukraine and wants more guns.

        Also noted: .ml