Taiwan would continue to keep in close touch with the US to promote the implementation of arms sales according to plan, a Ministry of National Defense (MND) official said today, ahead of a meeting between the US and Chinese leaders in Washington.
While US President Donald Trump approved an US$11 billion package for Taiwan in December last year, the largest ever, he said in May after visiting Beijing that a second package, worth about US$14 billion, was being kept in abeyance.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) is expected to press Trump to halt sales when the two of them meet in Washington this week.
Photo: Tien Yu-hua, Taipei Times
Speaking to reporters in Tainan during a media trip, ministry deputy spokesperson Chiao Fu-chun (喬福駿) said maintaining security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region was a "common interest of democratic nations."
"The US government and Congress have repeatedly expressed their support for Taiwan's ability to defend itself," he added. "Therefore, we will continue to maintain close contact with the US Department of War and continue to promote the implementation of arms sales according to plan."
While the US is Taiwan's most important arms supplier, Taipei has its own weapons development program, covering everything from submarines and fighter jets to long-range missiles.
The army today showed off its new eight-wheeled armored combat vehicle fitted with an 105mm gun, practicing live-fire exercises to demonstrate the domestically made weapon's fighting abilities.
The military also put on display, but did not fire, some of its US-made weapons, such as Lockheed Martin-made HIMARS rockets.
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