Taiwan does not have Trump’s arms procurement list but is willing to discuss it, Taiwan security officials say By Reuters

Written by Yimou Lee

TAIPEI (Reuters) – Taiwan does not have a “solid list” of new arms deals to pitch to incoming United States President Donald Trump but is willing to discuss ways to bolster the island’s defenses, Taiwanese security officials said.

The democratically-ruled Taiwan, said to be China, may make major new arms deals early in the life of the next US administration to show that it takes seriously President-elect Donald Trump’s comments that Taiwan should pay “protection” money, people familiar with it said. government officials previously told Reuters.

The government of Taipei is considering buying a large package of weapons from the US to show its commitment to defending the island, the Financial Times reported this week.

“Currently we do not have such a concrete list but we welcome advice from all sides, the most important of which is how we can increase our defense capabilities,” a Taiwan security official told reporters in Taipei, requesting anonymity to speak. frankly.

“Taiwan is very willing to continue to discuss with all like-minded partners, especially the US, how to continue to strengthen Taiwan’s defense capabilities,” the official said.

Taiwan, whose government rejects China’s sovereignty claims, has faced repeated military pressure from Beijing, including a new round last month in a series of war games.

The island’s biggest arms supplier is the US It has an order backlog worth about $20 billion and last month announced a nearly $2 billion order for missile systems.

China opposes the sale, which includes radar and missile systems, and has urged the US to “immediately stop arming Taiwan”.

Taiwan’s overall defense spending has reached about 80% so far since the ruling Democratic Progressive Party took office in 2016, the official said.

“Our commitment to self-defense will only strengthen, not weaken,” said the official.

Taiwan’s government regularly holds discussions with major US and strategic groups about whether the island’s current military hardware and software is effective enough to counter any Chinese attack, said a second Taiwan security official on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.

Such discussions include whether Taiwan should significantly increase the size of its aircraft capable of striking the most expensive Chinese military equipment, the official said.

“Such revisions are normal,” the official said, adding that Taiwan has not started a new round of talks with the US.

“There are many discussions and recommendations. We welcome everything that is beneficial to increase Taiwan’s defense.”