Key facts
- Four Republican senators urged President Trump to release over $15 billion in stalled national security assistance for Taiwan.
- The senators expressed concern about Trump's description of Taiwan as a 'very good negotiating chip' with China.
- The funds include $300 million in foreign military financing and a $14 billion package of foreign military sales.
- Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to press Trump to halt Taiwan arms sales during his visit.
Four Republican senators have called on President Donald Trump's administration to release more than $15 billion in stalled national security assistance for Taiwan, expressing concern over the president's approach to China.
In a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Senators Mitch McConnell, John Cornyn, Lisa Murkowski, and Thom Tillis highlighted the administration's failure to disburse $300 million in foreign military financing and a $1 billion Defense Department allocation for Taiwan, as well as a pending $14 billion foreign military sales package.
The senators stated they were "concerned by President Trump's description of Taiwan as 'a very good negotiating chip' in engagements with Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party." They questioned the credibility of U.S. influence and deterrence in the Indo-Pacific if diplomatic appearances come at the cost of denying partners key deterrent capabilities.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is scheduled to visit Washington for three days, during which sources briefed on the matter told Reuters that Xi is expected to press Trump to halt Taiwan arms sales entirely. China views Taiwan as its own territory and has consistently called for an end to arms sales.
Trump had previously approved an $11 billion arms package for Taiwan in December, but a subsequent $14 billion package has been held up for months. Following a May summit with Xi, Trump described the package as a "very good negotiating chip."