Taiwan Defense Chief Wellington Koo Says U.S. Congress Will Keep Backing Arms Sales Despite $14 Billion Package Delay
Taiwan has always enjoyed cross-party U.S. support and Congress will continue to help strengthen Taipei's defense capabilities, Defense Minister Wellington Koo said on Thursday, November 5, when asked about arms sales following the U.S. midterm elections, according to Reuters.
"I think the U.S. Congress has always been non-partisan and will support Taiwan in strengthening its defense capabilities," Koo told reporters at parliament in Taipei, when asked whether the roughly $14 billion arms package would change after Democrats won both houses in the midterms. "We will also continue to communicate with members of Congress, and of course we will maintain close contact with the U.S. Department of War to ensure that these related arms sales proceed on schedule."
The United States is Taiwan's most important international backer and weapons supplier despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties, and U.S. law requires Washington to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself. President Donald Trump last December approved $11 billion in arms for Taiwan, the largest sale ever, while a second package worth some $14 billion has stalled; Taipei officials have acknowledged the package could be pushed into 2027.
Koo added that Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his team remain central figures, and that their overall strategy toward the Indo-Pacific, Asia, and the wider global situation is unlikely to change substantially. Taiwan's democratically elected government says only the island's people can decide its future. The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside office hours in Washington.
Source: Reuters
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：台湾空军 F-16V 战机（机号 6613）。照片：总统府，CC BY 2.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: A Republic of China Air Force F-16V fighter (serial 6613). Photo: Office of the President, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
