Proposed US$14 Billion Taiwan Arms Sale Still Under Review, Rubio and Trump Say
On June 2 and 3, 2026, during congressional budget hearings on the State Department’s FY 2027 budget request, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reaffirmed that U.S. policy and commitments toward Taiwan remain unchanged and that Washington does not consult Beijing on arms sales to Taiwan. He also clarified that a proposed US$14 billion arms sale to Taiwan has not been halted, but rather remains under review.
U.S. President Donald Trump later confirmed that his administration is still considering the proposed arms package, while indicating that he still plans to discuss the issue with Taiwan President Lai Ching-te.
U.S. Taiwan Policy and Six Assurances Unchanged
During the June 2 Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, Rubio stated that there had been “no change” in U.S. policy toward Taiwan and that Washington wants to see the cross-strait status quo preserved.
On June 3, Rubio again faced questions from lawmakers about Taiwan during additional congressional budget hearings, including the House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing and the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearing on the State Department’s FY 2027 budget request.
Throughout the hearings, Rubio reaffirmed that U.S. arms-sales decisions regarding Taiwan are not negotiated with or subject to consultation with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) — a core principle of the Six Assurances to Taiwan. He emphasized that the PRC’s objections to U.S. arms sales to Taiwan are nothing new and do not give Beijing any role in Washington’s decisions.
Taiwan Arms Package Still Under Review
During the hearings, Rubio clarified that the proposed US$14 billion arms sale to Taiwan has not been “paused,” stating instead that the package remains under review as it moves through the administration’s internal process.
He explained that the package is significant in scale and carries implications for the U.S. defense industrial base and future production capacity, requiring the administration to balance those factors with other considerations.
Rubio also pointed to the administration’s December 2025 approval of an approximately US$11 billion arms package for Taiwan, describing it as the largest U.S. arms package for Taiwan by dollar value in the history of U.S.-Taiwan security cooperation.
Trump’s Latest Response
Following Rubio’s testimony, President Trump said on June 5 that Washington is still considering the proposed US$14 billion arms sale to Taiwan. Asked by reporters aboard Air Force One whether he had made a decision on the package, Trump replied, “We’re looking at that.” Trump also indicated that he still planned to speak with Taiwan President Lai Ching-te, saying, “I’ll always talk to him.”
President Lai has previously said that, if given the opportunity to speak with Trump, he would stress that improving Taiwan’s defense capabilities and purchasing U.S. weapons are necessary measures to safeguard Taiwan’s security and maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
Sources:
[1] Taipei Times [2] Focus Taiwan [3] Taipei Times [4] Reuters [5] Central News Agency (CNA) [6] Focus Taiwan
Taiwan Bolsters Anti-Ship Missile Arsenal to Strengthen “Kill Zone” Strategy
Taiwan is sharply increasing its anti-ship missile (ASM) arsenal, with its total stockpile projected to exceed 1,800 ASMs by early 2029, according to a Reuters report. The buildup includes missiles launched from aircraft, ships, and ground-based launchers, reflecting Taiwan’s broader shift toward an asymmetric defense posture against the growing Chinese military threat.
This expanding ASM force is central to Taiwan’s “kill zone” strategy in the Taiwan Strait, where defenders seek to use large numbers of affordable but lethal precision weapons to offset China’s overwhelming firepower advantage. Alongside shorter-range missiles and swarms of surface and aerial drones, these capabilities are intended to make any Chinese invasion or blockade far more costly and difficult to execute.
Asymmetric Firepower and Reliable Deterrence
According to Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense, existing anti-ship missiles are currently deployed around the nation “in a mobile and dispersed manner to preserve combat effectiveness.” ASMs “can establish a powerful maritime strike capability and degrade the enemy’s combat effectiveness,” the defense ministry said.
Retired U.S. Marine Corps Colonel Grant Newsham noted that anti-ship missiles are a “sensible” investment for Taiwan, emphasizing that long-range precision weapons could threaten or destroy Chinese vessels before they even set out across the Taiwan Strait, or at any point between the Chinese coast and Taiwan’s shores. “Employed properly and with adequate numbers, these missiles are a huge problem for a Chinese invasion force,” Newsham added.
Taiwan is also expected to field more than 1,000 domestically produced Hsiung Feng II and III anti-ship cruise missiles by early 2029, complementing its U.S.-supplied Harpoon missiles. This robust domestic production pipeline underscores Taiwan’s growing defense self-reliance, ensuring a sustainable, independent supply of high-impact deterrence capabilities to safeguard its sovereignty.
U.S. Support and Arms Deliveries
Taiwan’s ASM supply is tightly linked to its strategic partnership with the United States and U.S. defense contractors, including Boeing, which manufactures the Harpoon missile. Senior Taiwanese officials reported that Taiwan’s military currently possesses 450 Boeing-made Harpoon missiles and is in the process of receiving 400 more land-based variants. Data collected by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute also indicate that the Trump administration approved the sale of an additional 195 air-launched ASMs. However, the deal terms are still being negotiated.
At a March 2026 House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing titled “Reforming America’s Defense Sales,” Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) Director Michael F. Miller testified that under standing policy guidance, Taiwan remains the United States’ top priority for Harpoon ASM deliveries.
Implications
Taiwan’s missile buildup reflects critical lessons drawn from conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, where asymmetric deployments of missiles and drones have demonstrated how weaker actors can retain the capacity to fight back and impose significant costs on more powerful adversaries.
By setting up a concentrated “kill zone” in the Taiwan Strait, Taiwan’s objective is to decisively disrupt a Chinese invasion fleet before it reaches Taiwan’s beaches, thereby securing critical time for the United States and other democratic allies to respond and mobilize.
To coordinate this expanded firepower, Taiwan’s military will formally establish the Littoral Combat Command on July 1, 2026. This new command will integrate the nation’s coastal radars, anti-ship missiles, and drones into a single, unified combat force to strengthen its overall defense readiness.
Sources:
[1] Reuters [2] Taipei Times [3] Formosan Association for Public Affairs (FAPA) [4] Focus Taiwan
COMPUTEX TAIPEI 2026 Solidifies Taiwan’s Role in Global AI Integration
Held from June 2 to 5, 2026, this year’s COMPUTEX TAIPEI reached record highs in both scale and international participation, bringing together 1,500 technology companies from 33 countries and occupying 6,000 exhibition booths under the theme “AI Together.”
The unprecedented scale of the event firmly establishes Taiwan’s position as a global center of artificial intelligence (AI) hardware, advanced manufacturing, and technology integration, showcasing its profound economic resilience and undisputed role at the frontline of global technology development.
The Geopolitical Anchor of Global AI Integration
The global AI revolution is heavily dependent on Taiwan’s advanced manufacturing ecosystem. Addressing the opening ceremony, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te directly linked peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait with the security of the global AI supply chain. He emphasized that maintaining the political “status quo” is Taiwan’s most responsible pledge to global supply chains.
As international technology giants gather to transition AI from cloud computing into real-world deployment –– such as autonomous robotics, automotive platforms, and smart manufacturing –– Taiwan’s cohesive and highly flexible information and communication technology (ICT) supply chain serves as the indispensable foundation for global AI integration.
Highlights of U.S. Tech Giants
The event featured high-profile keynote addresses and forum presentations by leaders of major U.S. technology companies, including Jensen Huang, Cristiano Amon, Matt Murphy, and Lip-Bu Tan, the CEOs of NVIDIA, Qualcomm, Marvell, and Intel, respectively.
A major highlight came from NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang, who enthusiastically praised the local ecosystem, describing Taiwan as the “epicenter of the AI revolution.” His remarks highlighted NVIDIA’s massive expansion in Taiwan, noting that the company’s procurement tied to Taiwan’s local ecosystem has grown to roughly US$150 billion annually, and that NVIDIA plans to build its new Taiwan headquarters in Taipei, which is set to be operational by 2030 and employ up to 4,000 people.
Implications
COMPUTEX 2026 further underscored that Taiwan is not merely a tech manufacturing hub, but the strategic backbone of the global AI supply chain. Despite growing cross-Strait tensions and China’s continued pressure, major U.S. technology firms are aggressively expanding their investments and deepening their partnerships in Taiwan, demonstrating that a stable, sovereign, and democratic Taiwan remains vital to the next stage of AI development.
Sources:
[1] Taipei Times [2] Reuters [3] COMPUTEX Daily [4] Focus Taiwan [5] Focus Taiwan [6] Reuters
