US lawmaker to press Trump on Taiwan arms sales

U.S. Representative Ami Bera said Saturday he will continue to press the Trump administration to expedite a major arms sale to Taiwan that has been delayed. Bera, speaking in Tokyo on Oct. 24, stressed the importance of speeding up the sales, which he said the administration has held up.

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have expressed concern that the delay weakens deterrence against Chinese aggression. President Donald Trump said he made no commitment either way on the pending arms sale to Taiwan after his summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, confirming that Xi had brought up the issue. Xi told Trump that the Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-U.S. relations.

Trump told Fox News he views the pending weapons sale as a "very good negotiating chip." House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Gregory Meeks had urged Trump ahead of the summit to approve the delayed package, warning that delaying sales could weaken deterrence. Speaker Mike Johnson also reiterated his support for Taiwan.