Rubio Says US Not Withholding $14 Billion Taiwan Arms Package

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers this week that the United States is not withholding a pending $14 billion arms package for Taiwan, saying that the package remains under review and that Washington’s policy toward Taiwan has not changed.

Rubio addressed the issue in two separate congressional hearings: first during Senate testimony on June 2, when lawmakers pressed him on whether U.S. arms sales to Taiwan were being treated as a bargaining point with Beijing, and again during House testimony on June 3, when he was asked about the status of Taiwan arms deliveries.

“There’s been no change to U.S. policy towards Taiwan,” Rubio said during the Senate hearing. “No change has been made in that regard.”

Rubio said Washington wants to keep the status quo in place across the Taiwan Strait.

“We want to see the status quo preserved as-is at this moment,” he said. “That’s our policy.”

‘We’re Not Withholding’

During the Senate hearing, Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) questioned Rubio about President Donald Trump’s public comments that arms sales could be a “very good negotiating chip” with Beijing.

Merkley said the Six Assurances to Taiwan include a U.S. commitment not to consult Beijing before making decisions on arms sales to Taiwan. He asked why the administration had not approved a pending arms package that Congress had already funded.

Rubio rejected the suggestion that the package was being held back.

“We’re not withholding,” Rubio said.

He also disputed the suggestion that Beijing’s objections were controlling the administration’s decision-making.

“When the president says it’s a great negotiation, what he’s really saying is it’s because China, as you can imagine, always mentions this,” Rubio said, referring to Taiwan arms sales. “But that in no way is what is holding up our decision-making.”

Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) separately asked whether Trump had offered to condition arms sales to Taiwan to “placate” Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

Rubio said the administration had not changed U.S. policy in response to Beijing’s requests.

Rubio said that Chinese officials want Washington to change its language on Taiwan but that the United States has not done so.

Further Details

Rubio gave more detail on the arms packages during House testimony on June 3, after Rep. Young Kim (R-Calif.) asked for an update on Taiwan deliveries and the administration’s plan to expedite them.

Rubio said a first tranche, worth $11 billion, had been approved in December and was moving forward.

“The first tranche was the single largest sale to Taiwan ever, was the $11 billion in December,” Rubio said. “That was approved and is moving.”

He said a second package, worth about $14 billion, remained under review.

“The second is, I think, the $14 billion one that is still under review,” Rubio said.

Rubio said the review involves factors beyond Taiwan policy, including stock availability and U.S. procurement needs.

“It includes the availability of the stocks in the short term,” he said. “We have to balance that with our own procurement process.”

Rubio said a package of that size normally requires review.

“It’s a large sale,” he said. “I mean, it’s not small. It would be the biggest one ever.”

Rubio said the $11 billion package approved in December was larger than all Taiwan arms sales during the Biden administration combined.

Taiwan Lawmakers Urge Faster Approval

Taiwan lawmakers from both the ruling Democratic Progressive Party and the opposition Kuomintang said they are watching the pending package closely and want Washington to move faster.

Wang Ting-yu, a Democratic Progressive Party lawmaker, said Rubio made it clear that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) routinely protests U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, but that Washington had not changed course because of those objections.

“Rubio clearly expressed that the CCP is always protesting U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, but the U.S. will not change because of the CCP’s protests,” Wang said.

Wang said Rubio’s remarks were positive for Taiwan’s security, while noting that the pending package has not yet been completed.

Hung Meng-kai, a Kuomintang lawmaker, said Taiwan’s legislature had already approved the relevant special defense budget and that Taipei had issued the formal request for the package.

“We just hope that the things Rubio said here are all true,” Hung said, urging Washington to move quickly and approve the package.

Hung said Taiwan had completed its part of the process and was waiting for the United States to follow through.