The acting US Navy secretary said Thursday that arms sales to Taiwan had been “paused” to ensure that the US military had adequate munitions for its Iran operations.
Asked at a congressional hearing about the stalled $14 billion weapons purchase by Taiwan, acting secretary Hung Cao said that “right now we’re doing a pause in order to make sure we have the munitions we need for Epic Fury — which we have plenty.”
“But, we’re just making sure we have everything, then the foreign military sales will continue when the administration deems necessary.”
The US State Department and the Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Cao’s remarks.
US President Donald Trump has not committed to following through with the sale, raising concerns over his commitment to support for Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory.
Ahead of his recent state visit to China, Trump said he would speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping about the arms sales, a departure from Washington’s previous insistence that it would not consult Beijing on the matter. Afterward, he said he had made no commitments to Xi about Taiwan and would be making a determination on the arms sales “over the next fairly short period of time.”
Trump Flips The Script On Taiwan
“I’m not looking to have somebody go independent. And, you know, we’re supposed to travel 9,500 miles to fight a war. I’m not looking for that. I want them to cool down. I want China to cool down,” he said at an interview with Fox News.
Although Washington maintains ambiguity on whether the US will come to Taiwan’s support against China, military experts and policymakers have long believed that the US will likely go to war with China if Taiwan is invaded.
Trump’s latest statement, however, suggests he may be upending the long-standing support for Taiwan.
Despite establishing diplomatic relations with China in 1979, the US retained the right to sell arms to Taiwan under the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979. The act orders Washington “will make available to Taiwan such defense articles and defense services in such quantity as may be necessary to enable Taiwan to maintain a sufficient self-defense capability.”
The Trump administration approved its largest-ever arms package for Taiwan in December 2025, valued at a whopping $11 billion. Additionally, a second package worth some $14 billion has yet to be formally approved.
China has vociferously opposed the US arms sales, accusing the US of turning Taiwan into a “powder keg” nation. In his latest remarks about Taiwan, Trump indicated the next arms package to Taiwan was being put on hold to use as a bargaining chip with China.
“I haven’t approved it yet. We’re going to see what happens,” Trump said, referring to the expected arms package. “I may do it, I may not do it. I’m holding that in abeyance, and it depends on China. It’s a very good negotiating chip for us, frankly. It’s a lot of weapons.”
Meanwhile, Taiwan’s Defense Minister Wellington Koo on May 19 said he was “cautiously optimistic” about the arms sales.
“It is clear that the side repeatedly provoking, creating incidents, and undermining the peaceful and stable status quo in the Taiwan Strait is China, not our country,” Koo told the Parliament. ”Therefore, under these circumstances, we believe that maintaining this arms-sales channel is in line with U.S. interests,” he said.
- With AFP Inputs
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