Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: In one of the largest-ever defense deals, the US on Wednesday announced to sell USD 11.1 billion worth of weapons to Taiwan, which has irked China in what is seen as a fresh cause of tension between the two largest economies, which President Donald Trump had underlined as bipolarity, or G-2, only weeks ago.
The arms deal includes rocket launchers, self-propelled howitzers, and various missiles, the media reported on Thursday.
Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said the sale is expected to take effect officially in about one month. Although the deal requires approval from the US Congress, it is unlikely to fail, given the cross-party consensus on Taiwan’s defense. Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te’s government has vowed to ramp up defense spending amid China’s mounting military pressure around the island.
The People’s Republic of China (PRC), which claims that the self-governed and democratic Republic of China (ROC or Taiwan) is a ‘breakaway’ province, condemned the US move, saying it “severely undermines China’s sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity.”
The Trump administration’s USD 11.1billion (£8.2 billion) arms sale to Taiwan, will be the second arms sale to Taiwan since Donald Trump returned to the White House for a second term in January 2025.
Taiwan’s Defense Ministry thanked the US and said the deal would help the island in “rapidly building robust deterrence capabilities.”
The latest package includes ‘Ukraine-tested’ High Mobility Rocket Systems (HIMARS) worth USD 4 billion and self-propelled howitzers worth USD 4 billion, Javelin and TOW anti-tank missiles, surveillance and combat drones, plus spare parts and support for existing gear, according to officials of the two countries.
The US has formal diplomatic ties with Beijing rather than Taiwan, but it remains a powerful ally of Taiwan’s and the island’s biggest arms supplier.
The latest arms sale has angered Beijing, which has in recent years ramped up pressure over Taiwan with military drills and regular incursions into its waters and airspace.
“The US’s attempt to support independence through force will only backfire, and its attempt to contain China by using Taiwan will absolutely not succeed,” said its Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun.
“It will only accelerate the push toward a dangerous and violent situation across the Taiwan Strait,” he said.
The size of this sale, if it goes through, dwarfs the 19 rounds of arms sales totaling USD 8.38 billion during the previous US administration under Joe Biden.
In his first term, Trump had approved arms sales to Taiwan totaling USD 18.3 billion; the largest package was worth USD 8 billion.
The US State Department said this deal serves Washington’s interests “by supporting (Taipei’s) continuing efforts to modernize its armed forces and to maintain a credible defensive capability.”
China has long vowed to “reunify” with Taiwan and has not ruled out the use of force to take it.
It is a threat that Taiwan is increasingly taking seriously. It plans to boost defense spending to more than 3 percent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2026 and up to 5 percent by 2030.
In October 2025, Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te announced the building of a dome-like air defense system to guard against “hostile threats,” without mentioning China by name.
In the last few years, China has grown increasingly assertive in the region, often rattling neighbors with unusual moves. In June, Japan protested following an unprecedented naval drill by Chinese aircraft carriers in the Pacific.
More recently the two countries have been sparring over the Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s suggestion that Japan could deploy its own self-defense force if China attacks Taiwan.
Tensions escalated this month as boats from both sides faced off near disputed islands, and Chinese fighter jets locked radar on Japanese aircraft.
Denying Chinese claims, Taiwan has been working to beef up its defenses, especially with faster, more mobile systems that can hit hard without requiring large forces.
The potential size of the deal rivals the USD 18 billion of military sales to Taiwan agreed by then-US President George W. Bush in 2001, although that was ultimately downsized after commercial negotiations.
China does not allow countries to maintain official ties with both Beijing and Taipei.
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