Why the U.S. Should Rethink a Freeze on Taiwan Arms Sales

After President Donald Trump met with Xi Jinping in Washington last month, U.S. Ambassador to China David Perdue startled many observers when he said in an interview that the president had made an off-the-cuff offer to sell American weapons to Beijing. The offer must have surprised the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, who seeks not to buy American weapons but rather to stop their sale to Taiwan.

Washington should resist Xi’s pressure to keep arms sales to Taiwan in a holding pattern. Not only does Taiwan need these weapons for its defense, but backing down in the face of such pressure would signal to every ally and adversary that American commitments are negotiable.

About the Author

Dan Blumenthal

Dan Blumenthal is co-director of the Coalition Defense of Taiwan, and a Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI).

About the Author

Brady Africk

Brady Africk is a research analyst at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) focused on open-source intelligence and satellite imagery analysis.

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After President Donald Trump met with Xi Jinping in Washington last month, U.S. Ambassador to China David Perdue startled many observers when he said in an interview that the president had made an off-the-cuff offer to sell American weapons to Beijing. The offer must have surprised the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, who seeks not to buy American weapons but rather to stop their sale to Taiwan.

Washington should resist Xi’s pressure to keep arms sales to Taiwan in a holding pattern. Not only does Taiwan need these weapons for its defense, but backing down in the face of such pressure would signal to every ally and adversary that American commitments are negotiable.