He announced it late Wednesday night eight separate arms sales agreements to , while he was delivering a televised address, without substantial reference to foreign policy issues or to .
The package includes 82 HIMARS launchers and 420 ATACMS missiles, systems similar to those the US had granted to Ukraine for its defense against Russia, with a total value of more than $4 billion.
Guns, drones and military software
The deals also include 60 self-propelled guns, accompanying equipment, worth more than $4 billion, as well as drones, worth more than $1 billion.
The package also includes:
- over $1 billion worth of military software;
- over $700 million worth of Javelin and TOW anti-tank missiles;
- $96 million worth of helicopter parts,
- Harpoon missile upgrade kits worth $91 million.
The State Department emphasizes that the sales serve “US national, economic, and strategic interests” by enhancing Taiwan’s defense capability and “stability in the region.”
Legal obligation and geopolitical tension
Under US law, the US has an obligation to help Taiwan in its self-defense – a point of constant tension with China, which has signaled that it is not even ruling out the use of force to “reunify” the island with the mainland.
Taiwan’s Defense Ministry expressed its gratitude to the US, stressing that the agreement enhances the country’s “adequate self-defense and deterrence capabilities.”
Rising Defense Spending and the ‘Taiwan Dome’
The announcement comes as Taiwan has pledged to increase its defense spending to 3.3 percent of GDP in 2026, with a target of 5 percent by 2030, following pressure from the Trump administration and the Pentagon for even higher spending.
Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te recently unveiled a $40 billion special equipment program, which includes the development of an advanced air defense system called “Taiwan Dome.”
China’s angry reaction
Beijing reacted strongly, denouncing the relevant legislation – the National Defense Appropriation Act (NDAA) – as directly hostile to China.
“The bill reproduces the ‘Chinese threat’ theory, militarily strengthens Taiwan and undermines Chinese sovereignty,” the Chinese embassy in Washington said, adding that Beijing “strongly opposes” the US moves.
The US Senate approved the bill on Wednesday, with Donald Trump expected to sign it into law within the next few days.
