Washington, D.C. — By freezing a vital $14 billion arms package to Taiwan, the Trump administration is abandoning historic U.S. commitments, damaging Indo-Pacific deterrence, and inviting Beijing’s aggression, according to a new analysis from the Center for American Progress.
This cavalier abandonment of Washington’s decades-old pledge to sustain Taiwan’s defense capabilities and never negotiate its security with Beijing represents a dangerous and fundamental shift in foreign policy. By treating Taiwan’s security as a mere negotiating chip, President Donald Trump is rewarding Xi Jinping for reportedly haranguing him in Beijing about America becoming a “declining nation” as well as the dangers of U.S. support for Taiwan.
Arms sales like these, together with Beijing’s perception of American military might and the possibility of U.S. intervention in any cross-Strait hostilities, have helped keep the peace for decades by deterring any overtly aggressive moves being contemplated in Beijing. The move to freeze this arms package is a profound betrayal of a steadfast U.S. friend that could severely weaken the entire U.S. alliance network in the Pacific and alter the regional balance of power to America’s detriment.
Read the analysis: “The Trump Administration’s Taiwan Arms Freeze Is a Gift to Xi Jinping” by Jonathan Fritz and Michael Clark
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Sam Hananel at [email protected].