Taiwan’s Defence Ministry announced on Thursday that the U.S. government is moving forward with an $11.1 billion arms sale to the island, marking the largest weapons package ever offered by the United States to Taiwan. China, which claims Taiwan as its territory, strongly opposes the sale.
The deal, the second under President Donald Trump’s current administration, comes amid increasing Chinese military and diplomatic pressure on Taiwan, whose government rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims. The package includes eight key items such as HIMARS rocket systems, howitzers, anti-tank missiles, drones, and spare parts for existing equipment.
“The United States continues to support Taiwan in maintaining sufficient self-defence capabilities, building strong deterrence, and leveraging asymmetric warfare advantages,” the ministry said, noting that these measures are crucial for regional peace and stability. The sale is currently at the Congressional notification stage, where lawmakers can block or modify the deal, although Taiwan enjoys broad bipartisan support in the U.S.
Taiwan has been modernising its armed forces with a focus on asymmetric warfare—deploying smaller, mobile, and cost-effective systems such as drones that can still deliver a significant tactical impact. Experts have noted that weapons like HIMARS, which have been effective in Ukraine against Russian forces, could play a critical role in defending Taiwan from potential Chinese aggression.
The announcement followed an unannounced visit by Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung to the Washington area last week to meet U.S. officials, though details of the meetings were not disclosed.
While the U.S. maintains formal diplomatic relations with Beijing, it has strong unofficial ties with Taiwan and is its primary arms supplier. U.S. law requires Washington to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself, though arms sales have long been a source of tension with China.
The Trump administration has indicated plans to expand arms sales to Taiwan beyond the level of his first term, aiming to deter China and preserve U.S. military overmatch in the region. Taiwan’s strategic location, dividing Northeast and Southeast Asia into two distinct theatres, underscores its importance in U.S. security planning.
