US officials say Taiwan arms sales remain under review amid uncertain summit prospects

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated in an interview in Washington this Thursday that military sales to Taiwan remain under careful evaluation. She noted that any foreign military sales must first be weighed against the United States' own defense requirements and strategic considerations, rather than being a mere response to requests from purchasing nations. These remarks come as the leaders of the U.S. and China are set to hold a "Trump-Xi summit" at the White House, drawing high external attention to whether the U.S. will step up arms sales to Taiwan before or after the meeting. Rubio emphasized that the relevant procedures are still ongoing and no final decision has been made.

Looking back at the history of U.S. arms sales to Taiwan in recent years, the largest-scale case occurred late last year, when the U.S. government approved a single arms sale valued at over $7.5 billion, including advanced F-16V fighter jets and related upgrade kits, setting a record for the largest arms sale to Taiwan. This move not only demonstrated the U.S. commitment to Taiwan's defense under the framework of the Taiwan Relations Act, but also reflected the U.S. desire to maintain a military balance regarding Taiwan within its Indo-Pacific strategy. However, the approval process for arms sales involves multiple reviews by the Department of Defense, the Department of State, and Congress. Especially amid tight U.S. defense budgets and rising domestic military demands, whether large-scale arms sales to Taiwan can be introduced once again has become a difficult challenge that policymakers must face.

The attitude of the U.S. Congress toward arms sales to Taiwan cannot be ignored either. In the past, Congress has repeatedly passed the Taiwan Assurance Act or related resolutions, demanding that the executive branch accelerate weapons deliveries to enhance cross-strait defense capabilities. In recent years, however, some lawmakers have adopted a more cautious stance regarding the allocation of U.S. military resources, believing that with urgent defense needs at home and among other allies, arms sales to Taiwan must balance the optimal allocation of overall strategic resources. Rubio's mention of "considering the U.S.'s own needs" refers precisely to these internal resource allocations and priorities, indicating that U.S. arms sales to Taiwan are no longer a one-way political gesture, but rather require a balance among multiple factors.

In addition, Taiwan's own defense requirements are constantly evolving. Facing the rapid advancement of mainland China's military modernization, the authorities in Taiwan have repeatedly expressed the urgency of acquiring advanced air defense, anti-ship, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance systems. The large-scale arms sale late last year responded precisely to Taiwan's need to enhance air superiority and its air defense network. The "evaluation and weighing" procedure mentioned by Rubio must examine not only U.S. internal resource considerations, but also Taiwan's actual combat requirements, the feasibility of procurement plans, and post-delivery maintenance and support capabilities, all of which are elements that decision-makers must carefully calculate.

Finally, the holding of the Trump-Xi summit adds variables to U.S. policy toward Taiwan. The meeting between the two leaders at the White House is seen as a major weather vane for U.S.-China relations, and any arms sales decisions made before or after the meeting could be interpreted as a U.S. stance on U.S.-China relations. Rubio's remarks show that the U.S. maintains flexibility and caution regarding arms sales to Taiwan, neither ruling out the possibility of increasing them in the future nor willing to make overly explicit military commitments at a sensitive moment, so as to avoid triggering greater diplomatic friction. How future decisions will balance cross-strait security and the broader U.S.-China landscape remains a focal point closely watched by observers.