“It was the second unfinished arms deal (…), worth 14 billion US dollars (12 billion euros), and it is still under consideration,” said M. Rubio during a hearing in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
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US President Donald Trump, after last month’s high-level meeting in China, stated that further arms sales to Taiwan “depend on China,” and called it “a very good bargaining chip for us.”
M. Rubio told the Senate committee that Washington had already approved arms sales to Taiwan worth 11.1 billion US dollars (9.5 billion euros) in December.
Asked about the discussed 14 billion US dollar deal, M. Rubio replied: “We want the status quo to be maintained as it currently is.”
“These are relations in which it is very (…) difficult to maintain balance, but our policy towards Taiwan remains unchanged,” he noted.
At the end of May, the US authorities announced that they had suspended arms sales to Taiwan to ensure that the US military has enough ammunition for operations in Iran.
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Arms sales to Taiwan continue to cause disagreements in Washington-Beijing relations.
The United States recognizes only Beijing, but under US law must supply arms to the self-governing democracy for its defense.
China is committed to taking the island and does not rule out the use of force, increasing military pressure in recent years.
After an important meeting in Beijing last month with Xi Jinping, during which the Chinese president once again expressed opposition to US arms sales to Taiwan, D. Trump made no commitments regarding the proposed arms deal.
