Trump Administration Announces $11 Billion Arms Package to Taiwan, Drawing China’s Ire

The Trump administration unveiled a massive arms sale to Taiwan worth more than $11 billion late Wednesday, marking the largest weapons package ever offered to the island democracy and immediately drawing sharp criticism from Beijing.

The comprehensive package includes 82 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), 420 Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS), 60 self-propelled howitzer systems, and various drones. Many of these weapons systems are similar to those the United States provided to Ukraine during the Biden administration to counter Russian aggression.

The State Department formalized the eight arms sales agreements while President Trump was delivering a televised address, though the president made little mention of foreign policy issues and did not specifically address China or Taiwan during his remarks. The total value of $11.15 billion, according to Taiwan’s Defense Ministry, surpasses the $8.4 billion in arms sales to Taiwan approved during President Biden’s term.

“The proposed sales will help improve the security of the recipient and assist in maintaining political stability, military balance, and economic progress in the region,” the State Department said in its announcement, emphasizing that the deals serve “U.S. national, economic, and security interests.”

Beyond the major weapons systems, the package includes military software valued at over $1 billion, Javelin and TOW missiles worth more than $700 million, helicopter spare parts worth $96 million, and refurbishment kits for Harpoon missiles at a cost of $91 million.

China’s response was immediate and forceful. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun accused the United States of violating diplomatic agreements and undermining China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

“The ‘Taiwan independence’ forces on the island seek independence through force and resist reunification through force, squandering the hard-earned money of the people to purchase weapons at the cost of turning Taiwan into a powder keg,” Guo said. He warned that U.S. support for Taiwan through arms sales “will only accelerate the push of the Taiwan Strait toward a dangerous situation of military confrontation and war.”

Taiwan’s officials expressed gratitude for the arms package. Defense Minister Lin Chia-lung thanked the United States for its “long-term support for regional security and Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities,” which he described as fundamental for deterring potential conflict in the Taiwan Strait.

The arms sale comes at a time of increasing defense investments by Taiwan. President Lai Ching-te recently announced a special $40 billion budget for arms purchases, to be allocated over eight years starting in 2026. The budget includes funding for an air defense system with advanced detection and interception capabilities, dubbed “Taiwan Dome.”

Taiwan has also pledged to raise defense spending to 3.3% of its GDP next year, with plans to reach 5% by 2030. This increase follows pressure from the Trump administration and the Pentagon for Taiwan to allocate as much as 10% of its GDP to defense – significantly higher than what the U.S. or its major allies typically spend.

U.S.-China tensions have fluctuated throughout Trump’s second term, primarily centered on trade disputes and tariffs, but increasingly focused on China’s aggressive stance toward Taiwan. Beijing has consistently maintained that Taiwan must reunify with mainland China and has not ruled out using force to achieve this goal.

Under the Taiwan Relations Act, the United States is legally obligated to assist Taiwan with its self-defense capabilities, a commitment that has become an increasingly contentious point in U.S.-China relations.

The arms sale announcement follows congressional approval of the National Defense Authorization Act, which the Chinese embassy in Washington criticized last week for what it described as unfairly targeting China as an aggressor. President Trump is expected to sign this legislation shortly.

As regional tensions continue to simmer, this record-breaking arms package signals the United States’ ongoing commitment to Taiwan’s security while potentially setting the stage for further complications in an already strained U.S.-China relationship.