Acting US Navy Secretary Hung Cao said during a congressional hearing that the United States has temporarily suspended parts of its arms sales procedures to Taiwan in order to ensure sufficient ammunition supply for the US military amid the conflict in Iran.
Hung stated that Washington is currently pausing certain foreign arms sales arrangements “to ensure we have enough munitions to respond to the ‘Epic Fury’ operation,” while stressing that US military stockpiles remain “quite sufficient,” and that foreign arms sales will resume when the government deems it appropriate.
Reports say the affected package involves approximately US$19.6 billion in arms sales to Taiwan. The deal was approved by the US Congress as early as January this year, but still requires formal submission by President Donald Trump before it can take effect. The US State Department and Pentagon have not yet responded further to Hung’s remarks.
Taiwan’s Presidential Office said it has “not received any information regarding adjustments to the arms sales.” Presidential spokesperson Karen Kuo stressed that communication between Taiwan and the US remains close, and there are currently no indications that Washington intends to modify the relevant arms sales arrangements.
China’s Foreign Ministry reiterated that Beijing firmly opposes US arms sales to Taiwan and criticised Washington for interfering in China’s internal affairs. In recent years, China has continued to increase military pressure on Taiwan and has repeatedly stated that it does not rule out the use of force to achieve reunification.
In addition to the US$19.6 billion arms deal, the Trump administration also approved another US$15.4 billion arms package for Taiwan in December last year, which has likewise not yet made substantive progress.