President Lai Ching-te of Taiwan voiced “high hopes” on Thursday that President Trump would approve $14 billion in arms orders for the island, downplaying concerns raised last month when Mr. Trump suggested U.S. military support for Taiwan was negotiable, unsettling longstanding American policy.
Mr. Lai gave an optimistic take on Taiwan’s standing with the United States, which has taken a blow since Mr. Trump said in May that U.S. weapons sales were a “negotiating chip” with China and suggested that Mr. Lai was a source of instability across the Taiwan Strait — a characterization often pushed by Beijing.
Mr. Lai, speaking at a news conference for foreign media outlets in Taipei, sought to assuage concerns, describing Mr. Trump as a strong supporter of Taiwan. The island has for decades relied on military and political support from Washington to counter an increasingly powerful Beijing, which claims Taiwan as its territory. In the most extreme scenario, China could try to take Taiwan by force, risking a war that could draw in the United States.
During Mr. Trump’s first term, he approved $18 billion of weapons sales to the island, Mr. Lai said. And late last year, Mr. Trump approved an $11 billion arms package for Taiwan, drawing condemnation from Beijing. But Mr. Trump has held off on a decision about $14 billion of missiles and other military hardware from U.S. companies, which Taiwan’s legislature voted to pay for in May.
“President Trump’s arms sales for Taiwan have basically met Taiwan’s needs, and so we also have high hopes about these upcoming arms sales,” Mr. Lai said, when asked about the $14 billion package that Mr. Trump has delayed approving. “I’m confident that after the U.S. government conducts a detailed review, it can be passed.”
Not all experts and officials in Taiwan are as confident in Mr. Trump, who has lately focused on building relations with Mr. Xi.
