Taiwan says it has not received any official notification from the United States regarding changes or delays to planned military arms sales, despite comments from a senior U.S. official suggesting a temporary pause.
The statement came after U.S. Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao told lawmakers during a Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee hearing that some foreign military sales were being paused to ensure the U.S. military maintains sufficient munitions during ongoing operations related to Iran.
“We have done some foreign military sales to them. It’s just right now we’re doing a pause in order to make sure we have the munitions we need,” Cao said, referring to the U.S. military operation known as “Epic Fury.”
However, speaking to reporters in Taipei, Taiwan Presidential Office spokesperson Karen Kuo said Taiwan had not been informed of any adjustment to military sales agreements with Washington.
“At present we have not received any relevant information about the U.S. adjusting these military sales,” Kuo stated.
Taiwan has been awaiting approval for a major new U.S. arms package reportedly valued at up to $14 billion, according to previous reports.
The issue gained additional attention after Donald Trump said following a recent summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing that he remained undecided on whether to approve the proposed arms package for Taiwan.
The United States is legally required under longstanding legislation to provide Taiwan with defensive capabilities, despite the lack of formal diplomatic relations between Washington and Taipei.
China, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory, has repeatedly criticized U.S. arms sales to the self-governing island and called on Washington to halt military support.
Taiwan’s government continues to reject Beijing’s sovereignty claims, maintaining that only the people of Taiwan have the right to determine the island’s future.