Taiwan calls for continued US arms deliveries after Trump-Xi summit

After the summit between US President Donald Trump and China's head of state Xi Jinping, Taiwan's government spoke out in favor of continuing American arms deliveries. Taiwan's Deputy Foreign Minister Wu Chih-chung said it was "very important and in the interests of countries around the world" that Taiwan continue to exist in its current form. He assumes that the USA will implement a planned weapons package to defend Taiwan.

The United States does not have official diplomatic relations with the Republic of China, Taiwan's official name, but with the People's Republic of China. Nevertheless, the United States is Taiwan's most important ally and repeatedly supplies the country with weapons, to the annoyance of Beijing. The decision on another planned delivery worth several billion US dollars is currently pending. Trump said after his visit to Beijing in May that he would initially withhold the arms package.

During his state visit to the USA, Chinese President Xi Jinping warned the USA to stick to its "correct stance against 'Taiwan independence'" and to "handle the Taiwan issue prudently". China counts the independently and democratically governed island as part of its national territory and has repeatedly threatened to take control of it with the help of the military if this does not succeed through peaceful means.

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