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13-11-2024
TAIPEI: There is no new “stage of talks” with the United States at the moment for arms sales, Taiwan’s government said on Monday, as the island considers how best to respond to US President-elect Donald Trump’s previous demands that Taipei pay for protection.
Trump, who won a second term as president last week, unnerved democratically governed Taiwan, which is claimed by China, by saying it should pay the US for its defence and that it had taken away semiconductor business from America.
Trump has not elaborated on what he means by Taiwan having to pay for its protection, but it could mean Taipei takes the demand seriously with large new arms deals early in his administration, say people familiar with government thinking.
Taiwan’s presidential office, in a statement responding to what it said were media reports that the government planned a large arms purchase from the United States, said in the face of increasing Chinese military threats, Taiwan and its neighbors have continued to strengthen their defence deterrence.
This “demonstrates their determination to defend themselves on their own”, it said.
“There has been a period of consolidation and discussion between Taiwan and the United States on military needs but there is no new stage of discussion at this time,” the presidency added, without elaborating.
Taiwan, which rejects China’s sovereignty claims, has complained of a backlog worth some $20 billion of weapons it has previously ordered from the United States.
The United States is Taiwan’s most important international backer and arms supplier even in the absence of formal diplomatic ties, but there is no defence treaty, unlike in the case of Japan and South Korea.
Earlier, Taiwan may demonstrate it takes Donald Trump’s “protection” money demand seriously with large and early new arms deals, showing it is not looking for a free ride and is determined to show Washington its resolve to spend to defend itself.
Trump, who won a second term as president this week, unnerved democratically governed Taiwan, which is claimed by China, by saying that Taiwan should pay the US for its defence and that it had taken semiconductor business away from America.
“Watch for Taiwan on the defence side to try and start engaging them on a big arms package to do something significant, very large,” Rupert Hammond-Chambers, president of the US-Taiwan Business Council which helps broker defence exchanges between Washington and Taipei, told media, adding it could come in the first quarter of next year but “think of it as a down payment, an attention getter,” he said. “They’ll stack up several big platforms and big buys of munitions.”
The US is already Taiwan’s most important arms supplier, although Taiwan has complained of an order backlog worth some $20 billion. A new order, almost $2 billion of missile systems, was announced last month.
Taiwan, whose government rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims, has faced repeated military pressure from China, including a new round of war games last month.
Taiwan’s foreign ministry, in a written report to lawmakers on Thursday, said China might try and test the US during the presidential transition with more drills, hacking attacks or other forms of psychological warfare.
One former US official said he assessed it was “highly likely” that Taiwan would move quickly to attempt to broker a major arms deal with the US to get the Trump administration onside and counter any lingering inclination he has that Taiwan fleeced the US on semiconductors.
“They will want to solidify their fealty quickly to lock in Trump’s interest,” the person said of Taiwan, speaking on condition of anonymity to be able to speak freely. (Int’l Monitoring Desk)
