Taipei says it’s yet to receive formal notice as concerns grow over Washington’s commitment to island’s security
The U.S. is pausing a $14bn arms sale to Taiwan as it diverts munitions to sustain the war against Iran, exposing mounting anxieties over rapidly depleting stockpiles.
It comes just days after Donald Trump returned from a high-profile summit with Xi Jinping in China, a country that claims sovereignty over self-governed Taiwan and has threatened to “reunite” it with the mainland by force, if necessary.
Trump said he had discussed the matter of the $14bn arms deal “in great detail” with Chinese president Xi Jinping and would make a decision “over the next fairly short period”, breaking decades of U.S. policy that states decision on Taiwan should not be made in collaboration with Beijing.
Why do I get this feeling that Trump sold out Taiwan for either a bribe or concessions from Xi over Iran?
I think it’s more that Xi bullied him into it.
It’s likely that he made several points:
Nobody has actually suggested a scenario where the arms package would prevent or even slow down a Chinese invasion of Taiwan.
All the US wargames show that the US has no chance of defending Taiwan.
Trump’s trade war failed.
His Iran war is failing.
Trump has burned most of his alliances.
He probably phrased all of that in fancy diplomat lingo but all the analysis I’ve seen says it was more of a veiled threat than a bribe.
I don’t think there is anyone left in the US government that understands diplomatic language.
I guess it’s some cheap bribe and "working with the demented elderly.
Xi probably just gave him a stern look.
Because its not a secret. That’s what happened.