Taiwan counts on steady US arms support following midterm vote

Taiwan expects bipartisan backing for American military assistance to endure following the US midterm elections, Defence Minister Wellington Koo said on Thursday.

Speaking to journalists at parliament in Taipei, Koo emphasised that the US Congress has consistently demonstrated non-partisan support for enhancing the island's military capabilities. His remarks followed midterm election results in which the Democratic Party secured control of both congressional chambers. Koo noted that Taiwanese officials intend to engage with members of Congress and coordinate with the US Department of War to help keep planned weapons transfers on track.

The United States serves as Taiwan's primary foreign backer and key provider of defensive equipment, maintaining obligations under domestic law to help the self-governed island protect itself despite having no official diplomatic ties. Beijing considers Taiwan its territory and regularly demands an end to American arms transfers, viewing the matter as its most delicate bilateral friction point. Taiwan's leadership maintains that only its residents have the right to determine their political future.

Military transfers have faced recent delays. Although US President Donald Trump cleared an unprecedented $11 billion defence package for Taipei last December, a subsequent arrangement valued at roughly $14 billion has been held up. After conferring with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in May, Trump described the pending transaction as a useful bargaining chip kept in abeyance.

Lawmakers from Trump's own Republican Party pressed the administration in September to clear over $15 billion in delayed security aid, including the frozen $14 billion initiative, prior to a visit by Xi to Washington. Trump is scheduled to meet the Chinese leader at least twice more before year's end, with sessions anticipated at the upcoming APEC summit in China and the G20 gathering in Florida.

Given these diplomatic exchanges, Taiwanese authorities have acknowledged that the delayed arms transaction could potentially be deferred into 2027. Security analysts suggest that when deliveries eventually proceed, the package might be broken into smaller tranches rather than moving forward as a single transaction, though the overall value is anticipated to remain largely unchanged. Regional experts also point out that core foreign policy personnel, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, are expected to maintain an overarching strategic focus on the Indo-Pacific regardless of congressional shifts.