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Taiwan needs US weapons for self-defense as threat from China grows, diplomat tells AP

Alexander Yui Tah-ray said Taiwan must keep buying U.S. weapons as Beijing’s military pressure rises, while an $11 billion package is already approved.

  • On Thursday, President Lai Ching-te urged the United States to approve a proposed $14 billion arms sale package as soon as possible, rejecting Beijing's claims that Taiwan's self-defense efforts constitute a provocation.
  • Taipei rejects Beijing's claims of sovereignty, insisting the two are "not subordinate" to each other, even as China continues pressuring Taiwan and other nations in the Indo-Pacific region through military expansion.
  • Taiwan's cabinet approved an extra $6.6 billion for indigenous unmanned systems on Thursday to bolster combat capabilities after opposition lawmakers slashed a requested $40 billion defense budget last month.
  • U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said earlier this month the $14 billion package remains "under review," while officials navigate concerns raised by President Donald Trump's past comments describing arms sales as leverage.
  • Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian warned that "seeking independence by relying on the United States or through military means is a dead end," though Lai insists U.S. security commitments remain unchanged.
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Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te hopes that the U.S. will agree to an agreement to supply $14 billion ($12.1 billion) to the island "as soon as possible." "Taiwan's efforts to protect his national security should not be understood as "provocation against China," Lai said on Thursday in the capital Taipei. An association with China rejects the island, he affirmed. US President Donald Trump's government has urged Taiwan to increase its defense spen…

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The Washington Post broke the news on Wednesday, June 17, 2026.
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