Sep 30, 2026 14:35 pm IST

Opinion | Why Does Trump Want To Sell Arms To A US 'Adversary'? Inside His Strange Bargain

Trump's aides maintain that no such offer had been made. But the story points to a larger strategy

Harsh V Pant Harsh V Pant Columnist

Harsh V Pant Columnist

The Trump administration's handling of Taiwan arms sales points to a broader shift in the way Washington is managing its China policy. A roughly USD 14 billion package for Taiwan, primarily air-defence systems, missiles and counter-drone capabilities, has reportedly been kept in abeyance, with Trump describing it as a “very good negotiating chip” with Beijing. The message is unmistakable: Taiwan's security assistance is no longer being treated simply as an element of US deterrence policy, but also as an instrument in the wider US-China bargain. That approach may offer Washington tactical leverage. But it also creates strategic uncertainty for Taiwan and, more importantly, for US allies and partners across the Indo-Pacific.

Taiwan As An Instrument

Congress advanced the roughly USD 14 billion package earlier in 2026, but Trump has yet to give final approval. Following his May summit with Xi Jinping in Beijing, he said the package was being held “in abeyance” and that its fate “depends on China.” He also acknowledged that Taiwan arms sales had been discussed with Xi in considerable detail.

This is significant because it moves beyond the traditional logic of US arms transfers to Taiwan. The Six Assurances, alongside the Taiwan Relations Act, have long provided the framework within which Washington has maintained Taiwan's defensive capacity while avoiding an explicit commitment to Taiwanese independence. Consulting Beijing over the timing or substance of arms deliveries risks giving China a degree of influence over a policy that Washington has historically sought to keep within its own strategic calculus.

The administration has offered more than one explanation for the delay, including the desire to retain leverage with Beijing and pressure on US munitions stocks because........

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