Taiwan has been awaiting approval of a U.S. weapons package that Reuters previously reported could be worth as much as $14 billion. The issue has drawn increased attention after President Donald Trump said earlier this month that he had not yet decided whether to authorize the proposed sale following talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing.

Questions over the status of the package intensified after Acting U.S. Navy Secretary Hung Cao told a Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee hearing on Thursday that arms sales to Taiwan had been paused to ensure sufficient munitions were available for Operation Epic Fury, the military campaign launched by the United States and Israel against Iran in February.

A source familiar with the matter disputed that characterization, saying arms transfers to Taiwan require years of planning, review and implementation and are unrelated to the conflict with Iran.
“These sales take years to process and are unrelated to Operation Epic Fury,” the source said, adding that the U.S. military maintained adequate munitions inventories to support the administration’s strategic objectives.

The comments come as Washington seeks to balance support for Taiwan’s defense capabilities with broader management of relations with Beijing. China regards Taiwan as part of its territory and has repeatedly opposed U.S. arms sales to the island, urging Washington to halt such transfers.

The United States, while maintaining unofficial relations with Taiwan, is obligated under the Taiwan Relations Act to provide the self-governed island with the means to defend itself.

Following Trump’s meeting with Xi, U.S. officials reiterated that Washington’s policy toward Taiwan remains unchanged.

Taiwan’s government said on Friday it had not received any information indicating delays to pending U.S. arms sales.

Taipei rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims, maintaining that only the island’s people can determine their future.

Speaking at a congressional hearing, Cao said foreign military sales to Taiwan had been put on hold while the Pentagon assessed weapons inventories needed for Operation Epic Fury, the U.S. campaign targeting Iran. He said the United States had sufficient stocks but was taking steps to ensure military requirements were fully met before resuming transfers.

“Right now we’re doing a pause in order to make sure we have the munitions we need for Epic Fury,” Cao said, adding that foreign military sales would continue once the administration determined it was appropriate.

The remarks mark the clearest public indication yet that the Iran conflict has affected the timing of U.S. weapons deliveries to Taiwan, which has sought to strengthen its defenses amid rising military pressure from China.

The U.S. State Department and the Pentagon did not immediately comment on Cao’s statement.
Taiwan’s Presidential Office pushed back against suggestions that approved sales were being altered. Presidential Office spokeswoman Karen Kuo said on Friday that Taipei had received no indication Washington intended to revise the arms package.

The reported delay centers on approximately $14 billion in weapons purchases sought by Taiwan, though U.S. officials have not detailed which systems could be affected by the pause.

The development comes as questions persist over President Donald Trump’s approach to Taiwan. While the United States formally recognizes Beijing rather than Taipei, U.S. law requires Washington to provide the self-governed island with defensive weapons.

China, which views Taiwan as part of its territory, has repeatedly opposed U.S. arms sales to the island. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Friday that Beijing’s opposition to such sales remained “consistent, clear and firm.”

Trump also signaled a potential shift in approach ahead of a recent visit to China, saying he would discuss Taiwan arms sales with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Previous U.S. administrations had maintained that decisions on arms transfers to Taiwan were a matter between Washington and Taipei and not subject to consultation with Beijing.

Following the trip, Trump said he had made no commitments to Xi regarding Taiwan and would decide on the proposed sales within a relatively short period.
The pause underscores the competing demands facing U.S. defense planners as Washington balances support for partners in the Indo-Pacific with military commitments stemming from the Iran conflict.

Trump told reporters on Wednesday that he intended to speak with Lai as his administration considers potential arms sales to Taiwan, the self-governed island claimed by China.

A direct conversation between sitting presidents of the United States and Taiwan would be unprecedented since Washington formally switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979 under the “One China” policy framework.

Taiwan’s foreign ministry said Lai remained committed to maintaining stability across the Taiwan Strait and described China as “the disruptor of peace and stability.”

Lai would be “happy to discuss these matters with President Trump,” the ministry said in a statement.
“I’ll speak to him. I speak to everybody,” Trump said, adding that he had held productive discussions with Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visit to Beijing last week.

“We’ll work on that, the Taiwan problem,” Trump said.
The remarks came after Trump suggested that future U.S. arms sales to Taiwan could become part of broader negotiations with Beijing, raising concerns in Taipei over Washington’s long-term security commitments.

Taiwan’s government has since sought to reassure domestic and international audiences that U.S. policy toward the island remains unchanged and that Trump made no commitments to China regarding military support for Taipei.

Taiwan relies heavily on U.S. security backing to deter potential military action from China, which considers the island part of its territory and has repeatedly vowed to bring it under Beijing’s control, by force if necessary.

Taipei has also faced sustained pressure from Washington to increase defense spending and expand investment in American industries as part of closer economic and strategic coordination.

Trump previously disrupted diplomatic convention in 2016 when, as president-elect, he accepted a phone call from then Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen, drawing sharp criticism from Beijing and surprising foreign policy officials in both Washington and Asia.

Speaking at a news conference in Taipei marking two years since taking office, Lai said Taiwan remained committed to maintaining the status quo while accusing Beijing of escalating military pressure across the Indo-Pacific region.

“My government is committed to maintaining the status quo, and Taiwan is also a guardian of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait,” Lai said.

“China is the one undermining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait,” he added, citing Beijing’s expanding military exercises and deployments extending into the western Pacific.

The remarks came after Trump suggested last week that future US arms sales to Taiwan could serve as a bargaining tool in negotiations with China following meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Trump also indicated he was considering whether to hold direct talks with Lai, which would mark a significant break from decades of US diplomatic practice.

Washington shifted formal diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979, and no direct conversation between sitting US and Taiwanese presidents has occurred since then.

Lai said communication channels between Taipei and Washington remained open and that he would use any opportunity to convey the views of Taiwanese society directly to the US administration.

“The Republic of China, Taiwan, is a sovereign and independent country,” Lai said, using Taiwan’s formal constitutional name.

“No country has the right to annex Taiwan. The people of Taiwan pursue a democratic and free way of life.”
Lai also defended Taiwan’s continued purchases of US weapons systems, describing military procurement as necessary to preserve peace and deterrence across the Taiwan Strait.

Taiwan has increased defense spending amid rising Chinese military activity around the island and continued pressure from Washington for Taipei to assume greater responsibility for its own defense.
In Beijing, China’s Taiwan Affairs Office dismissed Lai’s comments, accusing Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party of destabilizing the region.

Spokesperson Zhu Fenglian said Taiwan could not prevent what she described as the “historical trend” of reunification with the mainland.
China, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory, has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control, though it continues to publicly advocate what it calls “peaceful reunification.”

Taiwan recently reported increased Chinese military operations near the island and published rare images of Chinese fighter aircraft and naval vessels operating in nearby waters.

Lai reiterated that Taiwan’s future could only be decided by its people and said Taipei remained willing to engage in dialogue with Beijing on the basis of equality and dignity.

Trump told reporters at the White House that Taiwan policy would remain part of discussions with Xi despite Beijing’s longstanding opposition to U.S. military support for the island.

“President Xi would like us not to,” Trump said when asked about continued U.S. weapons sales to Taiwan. “That’s one of the many things I’ll be talking about.”
China regards Taiwan as part of its territory and has repeatedly condemned U.S. military assistance to the democratically governed island, while Taiwan rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims.

The United States maintains a “one-China policy,” formally recognizing Beijing while remaining legally obligated under U.S. law to help Taiwan maintain defensive capabilities.

Tensions between Washington and Beijing intensified in December when the Trump administration approved an arms package for Taiwan valued at more than $11 billion, the largest such deal announced by the United States.

Trump administration officials have also recently urged Taiwan to increase defense spending as pressure from China continues to grow in the Taiwan Strait.

Despite heightened regional tensions, Trump said he did not believe military conflict over Taiwan would erupt during his presidency, citing his personal relationship with Xi.

In Taipei, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hsiao Kuang-wei said Taiwan would continue strengthening defense cooperation with Washington and building deterrence capabilities to preserve regional stability.

Trump also said he intended to raise the case of Lai, the founder of the now-closed Apple Daily newspaper and one of Hong Kong’s most prominent pro-democracy figures.

Lai was sentenced in February to 20 years in prison on charges including conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and publishing seditious materials under Hong Kong’s national security framework.

“People would like him out, and I’d like to see him get out too,” Trump said, adding that he had previously discussed the matter with Chinese officials.
Lai’s imprisonment has drawn criticism from Western governments and international rights organizations, which argue that Beijing’s national security crackdown has sharply curtailed civil liberties and press freedom in Hong Kong.

Trump said he would also raise the detention of Jin Mingri, leader of the independent Zion Church, who was arrested after Chinese authorities tightened restrictions on unauthorized religious activity and online preaching.

Taiwan has repeatedly flagged delays in U.S. arms shipments, as it faces mounting military pressure from China, which claims the island as its territory. The United States remains Taiwan’s primary security partner and arms supplier despite the absence of formal diplomatic ties.

The United States approved an $8 billion sale in 2019 involving Lockheed Martin, aimed at expanding Taiwan’s fleet to more than 200 F-16 aircraft. The programme has encountered setbacks, including software-related issues that slowed delivery timelines.

Deputy Defence Minister Hsu Szu-chien, accompanied by Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff Tien Chung-yi, visited the F-16V assembly line in South Carolina earlier this week to inspect the first completed aircraft, the ministry said.

Lockheed Martin has assigned several hundred personnel to the programme, and production is proceeding at full capacity on a two-shift schedule, with no reported bottlenecks in parts supply or manpower, according to Taiwan’s statement.

The F-16V fighter jets represent a new configuration tailored for Taiwan, requiring ongoing test flights to refine avionics and systems performance. The defence ministry said these tests must be conducted carefully before full delivery proceeds.

Taiwan has already upgraded 141 older F-16A/B aircraft to the F-16V standard and has ordered 66 new jets equipped with enhanced radar, weapons systems and avionics designed to counter advanced aircraft such as J-20 fighter jet deployed by China.

Lockheed Martin said it was working closely with the U.S. government to accelerate deliveries and remained committed to supporting Taiwan’s defence requirements.