Taiwanese officials have contacted the incoming US administration about procuring up to US$15 billion in military hardware, including an Aegis destroyer, the Financial Times (FT) reported yesterday.
The report quoted several unnamed sources who are likely to join the administration of US president-elect Donald Trump regarding Taiwan’s intentions to demonstrate that the nation is “serious” about its defense.
A former Trump administration official was quoted as saying that when the new US national security adviser is formally announced, Taiwan would “present a very aggressive package of American hardware.”
Photo: AFP
The FT quoted an unnamed high-ranking Taiwanese official as saying there have been informal discussions with the Trump team on the kind of arms deal that would signal Taipei’s commitment to its own defense.
“There are quite a few big platforms and other items that our armed forces have had their eyes on for a long time, but have not been able to acquire, so there’s a lot to choose from,” it quoted the official as saying.
This would include an Aegis destroyer, another official said, although other officials and experts said that some more expensive and necessary items would “leave a bigger impression.”
“If you are talking about a wish list, this is the time to ask for F-35s,” Institute for National Defense and Security Research fellow Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲) was quoted as saying in the report, adding that Taiwan might also request retired ships such as Ticonderoga-class cruisers and Perry-class frigates.
The package could be worth US$15 billion, Su said, citing reports that Taiwan might request 60 F-35s, four Advanced Hawkeyes, 10 retired vessels and 400 Patriot missiles.
Elbridge Colby, who served as US deputy assistant secretary of defense for strategy and force development during the first Trump administration and who might be named to a senior position in the new administration, has repeatedly urged Taiwan to spend more on its military.
“Those who care about Taiwan should be super clear they need to dramatically step up. Their fate hangs in the balance,” Colby recently wrote on X.
In his first term, Trump approved 11 packages to Taiwan worth US$21 billion, including F-16 jets and tanks, while US President Joe Biden’s administration has approved US$7 billion in deals.
The FT quoted US-Taiwan Business Council president Rupert Hammond-Chambers as saying that a large arms deal “could look like a down payment that would attempt to get off on the right foot with the new administration.”
The Trump team has not responded to requests for comment.
In Taipei, the government yesterday said there is no new “stage of talks” with the US at the moment for arms sales.
The Presidential Office said in a statement that in the face of increasing Chinese military threats, Taiwan and its neighbors have continued to bolster their defense deterrence, adding that this “demonstrates their determination to defend themselves on their own.”
“There has been a period of consolidation and discussion between Taiwan and the United States on military needs, but there is no new stage of discussion at this time,” it added, without elaborating.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of National Defense said in a statement yesterday that any weapon or equipment provided by allied countries to improve Taiwan’s ability to defend itself would be considered as an option.
In the face of the growing threat from the Chinese Communist Party, the military has continued to acquire weapons through multiple means, including arms purchases, commercial agreements and domestic production, to ensure that the country is able to defend itself and signal that commitment to allies, it added.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), in response to media queries for comment, said that more stable and peaceful cross-strait relations would lessen tensions and international pressure on the situation.
Cross-strait confrontations, crises or even conflicts would lead to greater pressure on Taiwan’s budget, he added.
The first priority should be domestic economic development and ensuring that the public’s needs are met, he said, expressing the hope that the Democratic Progressive Party would work with the KMT on cross-strait peace so the country could focus budget expenditure on meeting the public’s essential needs.
Additional reporting by Huang Ching-yi, Lin Hsin-han and Reuters
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