Taiwan says U.S. arms sales stay on track while $14 billion package remains on hold

Taiwan's defence minister says ongoing U.S. weapons deals are unchanged, but a record $14 billion package is still pending.

By Felo News Desk · Published Tue, 29 Sep 2026 22:16:19 GMT

Taiwan's defence minister Wellington Koo told reporters on Tuesday that existing U.S. arms sales to the island remain unchanged, while a record $14 billion package is still on hold.

What happened

Koo spoke in front of the Legislative Yuan in Taipei, confirming that talks with the United States continue over individual arms deals and that no notice of changes to sales or cooperation has been received.

What the reports add

The Associated Press article on winnipegfreepress.com notes that Koo said the United States paused the $14 billion deal after a May summit in Beijing where former President Donald Trump met Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Fortune reports that Koo said 66 advanced F‑16V fighter jets have reached a production stage where they are ready to be delivered, despite earlier delays caused by the pandemic and production‑line issues.
Both outlets mention that China has pressed Washington to halt the sales, and that analysts expect U.S. arms sales to continue, though a short‑term pause is possible.
Fortune includes a comment from Tamkang University professor Ma Chun‑wei, who said, "There are two more summits between the U.S. and China scheduled within this year, so I think neither side really wants to break things off, and the Taiwan issue will be put aside temporarily," and added that "arms sales to Taiwan will still be inevitable going forward."

What was said

"As for arms sales, we are in continuous discussions with the Americans on this," Wellington Koo told reporters, as reported by both the Associated Press and Fortune.

"We haven’t received any notice of any changes to sales or our cooperation," Koo added, according to the Associated Press.

"There are two more summits between the U.S. and China scheduled within this year, so I think neither side really wants to break things off, and the Taiwan issue will be put aside temporarily," Tamkang University professor Ma Chun‑wei said, Fortune.

How it came about

The stalled $14 billion package follows a series of large U.S. arms sales to allies, including a recent $24.3 billion F‑35 sale to Saudi Arabia covered by Felo News on September 18. Koo also referenced a media event in Tainan on Sept. 22 where a soldier briefed a specialized HIMARS (M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) command‑and‑control vehicle, underscoring Taiwan’s ongoing defence preparations.

Key facts

Taiwan's defence minister said existing U.S. arms sales remain unchanged. (winnipegfreepress.com)
A $14 billion arms package to Taiwan is stalled. (fortune.com)
The stall follows a May summit in Beijing where Donald Trump met Xi Jinping. (fortune.com)
Wellington Koo said Taiwan is in continuous discussions with the United States. (fortune.com)