White House deflects as Trump weighs Taiwan arms sale delay amid Beijing pressure

New weapons package said to be in jeopardy ahead of Trump-Xi summit, raising concerns over Beijing’s leverage and US policy on Taiwan

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Taiwanese soldiers launch a US-made tube-launched, optically tracked, wire-guided (TOW)-2A missile from a M1167 TOW carrier vehicle at the Fangshan training grounds in Pingtung on August 26, 2024. Photo: Reuters

Published: 7:42am, 19 Feb 2026Updated: 1:37am, 20 Feb 2026

Corrected [1:20am, 20 Feb, 2026]

[1:20am, 20 Feb, 2026]
An earlier version suggested that a US$11 billion arms package to Taiwan approved in December faced delay rather than a subsequent package of as-yet indeterminate size.

The White House declined on Wednesday to comment on reports that US President Donald Trump is weighing whether to cancel or delay a major new arms package to Taiwan, as he seeks to keep an expected April summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on track amid pressure from Beijing.

“I don’t have any announcement or updates to share,” said White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt.

On Monday, Trump told journalists he had discussed the potential sales with Xi.

“I’ve talked to him about it. We had a good conversation, and we’ll make a determination pretty soon,” Trump said earlier this week when asked about Xi’s opposition to the arms sale, Washington’s largest ever, adding that he has a “very good relationship with President Xi”.

The size of the expected next arms package to Taiwan, which has not been officially announced, could approach US$20 billion, analysts said, dovetailing with Trump’s desire to see partners pay more for their own defense and reduce their trade deficits. This would come on the heels of a record US$11 billion package announced in December.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that the proposed US arms sale to Taiwan has been thrown into limbo amid an intensifying pressure campaign from Beijing.

White House deflects as Trump weighs Taiwan arms sale delay amid Beijing pressure

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}New weapons package said to be in jeopardy ahead of Trump-Xi summit, raising concerns over Beijing’s leverage and US policy on Taiwan

New weapons package said to be in jeopardy ahead of Trump-Xi summit, raising concerns over Beijing’s leverage and US policy on Taiwan