US Trade Representative: Trump Considering Arms Sales to Taiwan, Interplay of US-China Factors at Hand
(CNA, New York, 17th) US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer stated on a Sunday political talk show today that President Trump is considering how to proceed with arms sales to Taiwan, and the reality is that the stability of US-China relati
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 18, 2026 at 02:47
- 🔍 Collected: May 18, 2026 at 03:01 (13 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 18, 2026 at 03:03 (1 min after Collected)
(CNA, New York, 17th) US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer stated on a Sunday political talk show today that President Trump is considering how to proceed with arms sales to Taiwan, and the reality is that the stability of US-China relations is very important. He emphasized that the US trade deficit with China decreased by 30% last year, the US maintains tariffs on China, and China has opened its market to American agricultural products; all these factors interact with each other.
On ABC's Sunday political talk show "This Week," host George Stephanopoulos asked guest Jamieson Greer how Donald Trump is using arms sales to Taiwan as a bargaining chip and what he expects in return.
Greer stated that everyone remembers the US has conducted arms sales to Taiwan for many years, and there have been many times when sales did not occur, with both former President Obama and former President George W. Bush having paused sales. Trump is currently considering how to move forward with this, and the reality is that the stability of US-China relations is very important.
He said that the US and China are two major economies, and the Chinese side has long raised the issue of arms sales to Taiwan. Trump is considering how to handle it, against a backdrop where the US trade deficit with China decreased by 30% last year, tariffs on China are maintained to control imports, and China has opened its market to American agricultural products. These factors are all intertwined. However, Trump has made a decision based on national security, which is grounded in US national security needs.
Stephanopoulos pressed further, asking what Trump would want in return if he were to delay arms sales to Taiwan.
Greer said the most important thing is that the status quo in the Taiwan Strait remains unchanged, and Trump has made it clear that US policy towards Taiwan has not changed. We expect stability, and if Chinese President Xi Jinping were to change the status quo, we would obviously take that into consideration.
Greer emphasized that Trump is very focused on ensuring nothing happens in the Taiwan Strait, which is why he said in media interviews that he made no commitments to Xi regarding Taiwan. Trump will decide on arms sales to Taiwan and their timing himself.
On ABC's Sunday political talk show "This Week," host George Stephanopoulos asked guest Jamieson Greer how Donald Trump is using arms sales to Taiwan as a bargaining chip and what he expects in return.
Greer stated that everyone remembers the US has conducted arms sales to Taiwan for many years, and there have been many times when sales did not occur, with both former President Obama and former President George W. Bush having paused sales. Trump is currently considering how to move forward with this, and the reality is that the stability of US-China relations is very important.
He said that the US and China are two major economies, and the Chinese side has long raised the issue of arms sales to Taiwan. Trump is considering how to handle it, against a backdrop where the US trade deficit with China decreased by 30% last year, tariffs on China are maintained to control imports, and China has opened its market to American agricultural products. These factors are all intertwined. However, Trump has made a decision based on national security, which is grounded in US national security needs.
Stephanopoulos pressed further, asking what Trump would want in return if he were to delay arms sales to Taiwan.
Greer said the most important thing is that the status quo in the Taiwan Strait remains unchanged, and Trump has made it clear that US policy towards Taiwan has not changed. We expect stability, and if Chinese President Xi Jinping were to change the status quo, we would obviously take that into consideration.
Greer emphasized that Trump is very focused on ensuring nothing happens in the Taiwan Strait, which is why he said in media interviews that he made no commitments to Xi regarding Taiwan. Trump will decide on arms sales to Taiwan and their timing himself.