Trump approves $11B arms sales to Taiwan
The Trump administration has approved more than $11 billion in new arms sales to Taiwan, a move expected to further heighten tensions between the United States and China.
The package includes eight separate arms deals cleared by the U.S. State Department, featuring drones, missiles, rockets, artillery systems and military communications equipment. Among the largest items is a more than $4 billion sale of 60 M107A7 self-propelled howitzers, 82 HIMARS rocket launchers, and 420 ATACMS missiles, News.Az reports, citing Turkish media.
The approvals also cover over $1 billion worth of ALTIUS loitering munitions, $353 million in TOW missiles, more than $375 million in Javelin missiles, and a $1 billion Tactical Mission Network designed to improve battlefield communications. Additional sales include Harpoon missile support systems and spare parts for AH-1W SuperCobra helicopters.
Each deal was formally announced by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, triggering a mandatory 30-day congressional review period. While Congress can attempt to block the sales, such efforts have historically failed.
Beijing has repeatedly opposed U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, viewing them as a violation of its sovereignty claims. The latest approvals are likely to strain already fragile U.S.–China relations amid growing rivalry over security and influence in the Asia-Pacific region.
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