US approves record $11.1bn arms package for Taiwan

The United States has approved an $11.1 billion arms package for Taiwan, marking the largest weapons sale to the island to date amid rising military pressure from China.

The approval, announced on Wednesday, is the second arms sale to Taiwan under President Donald Trump’s current administration. It comes as Beijing intensifies military drills and diplomatic pressure against Taiwan, whose government firmly rejects China’s sovereignty claims.

According to Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense, the proposed package includes eight major items such as HIMARS rocket systems, howitzers, Javelin anti-tank missiles, Altius loitering munition drones, and spare parts for existing military equipment.

In a statement, the ministry said the United States is helping Taiwan maintain sufficient self-defence capabilities while strengthening deterrence through asymmetric warfare strategies, which it described as essential for preserving regional peace and stability.

The arms package has entered the Congressional notification phase, during which US lawmakers may block or modify the sale, though support for Taiwan remains strong across party lines in Congress.

In separate announcements, the Pentagon said the sale serves US national, economic and security interests by supporting Taiwan’s military modernisation and ensuring it maintains a credible defensive capability.

Encouraged by Washington, Taiwan has been reshaping its armed forces to focus on asymmetric warfare, relying on mobile, cost-effective and precision-based systems such as drones and missile launchers.

“Our country will continue to advance defence reforms, strengthen whole-of-society resilience, and demonstrate our determination to defend ourselves,” Taiwan presidential office spokesperson Karen Kuo said, thanking the United States for its continued support.

Last month, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te unveiled a $40 billion supplementary defence budget covering 2026 to 2033, stating that national security was non-negotiable.

China’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to the announcement.

Rupert Hammond-Chambers, president of the US-Taiwan Business Council, said systems such as HIMARS—used extensively by Ukraine against Russian forces—could play a decisive role in countering a potential Chinese invasion.

He described the package as a record level of US security assistance to Taiwan, reflecting growing concerns over China and Washington’s push for allies to strengthen their own defence capabilities.

The announcement followed an unpublicised visit by Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung to the Washington area last week, where he reportedly met US officials. The agenda of the meetings was not disclosed, and Taiwan’s foreign ministry declined to comment.

While the United States maintains formal diplomatic ties with China, it has longstanding unofficial relations with Taiwan and remains its most important arms supplier. US law obliges Washington to provide Taiwan with defensive weapons, though such sales continue to strain US-China relations.

Despite concerns that President Trump’s deal-driven diplomacy and a planned visit to Chinese President Xi Jinping next year could weaken support for Taiwan, US officials have indicated plans to expand arms sales beyond levels seen during Trump’s first term.

The Trump administration’s national security strategy released earlier this month reaffirmed Washington’s goal of deterring conflict over Taiwan by maintaining military superiority in the region—a stance welcomed by Taipei.