Taiwan Mulls Massive $15BN Arms Package To Signal Trump It’s ‘Serious’ About Defense

While the US may wind down its record-setting constant stream of defense aid to Ukraine in the opening months of the Trump administration, American-made high tech weapon systems flowing to Taiwan look to increase.

That’s according to a new Financial Times report, which says Taiwan is mulling signing onto a new US weapons package worth over $15 billion. It’s being seen as a way for the self-ruled island to send an unmistakable message to the Trump administration that it’s serious about defending itself from a potential Chinese invasion.

Such a massive package is said to include 60 F-35 fighter jets and 400 Patriot missiles, along with ten retired warships, and four Advanced Hawkeyes – which is a sophisticated surveillance and reconnaissance plane equipped with the most advanced airborne radar in the world.

“Taiwan is thinking about a package to show that they are serious,” a former Trump admin official described to the FT.

“Assuming they follow through, they will go to the US national security advisor when they are named and present a very aggressive package of American hardware,” the person added.

A top official representing Taiwan’s military has said that informal discussions with Trump’s transition team are already underway about the huge arms sale.

The same Taiwanese official confirmed to FT, “There are quite a few big platforms and other items that our armed forces have had their eyes on for a long time but have not been able to acquire, so there’s a lot to choose from.”

A second Taiwan official was quoted as saying, “There is strong bipartisan backing for Taiwan, as you can see from the steady flow of legislation and resolutions aimed at bolstering support for Taiwan.” The statement highlighted that “The first Trump administration oversaw more frequent and higher-level visits and it unblocked arms sales to our country.”

And a statement trump by Trump transition team spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt has said, “The American people re-elected President Trump because they trust him to lead our country and restore peace through strength around the world.”

She vowed in relation to major global US rivals and ‘enemies’ like China that “When he returns to the White House, he will take the necessary action to do just that.”

Just last month, China’s PLA military had launched another round of large military drills that encircled Taiwan, which Taipei had blasted as an “unreasonable provocation”. The PLA military deployed warships and fighter jets to send a “stern warning” against “separatist acts of Taiwan independence forces”.

The first big foreign policy action by #Trump might be a big middle finger to #China, as #Taiwan is in ‘informal discussions’ with him on a potential mega arms deal, including Aegis destroyers, E-2D AEW&C planes, Patriot AD systems, and F-35 Lightning IIs.https://t.co/oJ1fZFJQQc

— The STRATCOM Bureau (@OSPSF) November 11, 2024

In a series of recent exercises, China’s military has practiced blockading key Taiwanese ports and areas, and assaults on maritime and ground targets, according the October words of an eastern theatre command’s spokesman.