The United States has approved its first arms sale to Taiwan under President Donald Trump, a move likely to heighten tensions with Beijing as the fragile trade truce between the two powers continues to hold. The $330 million package, confirmed by the Pentagon on Thursday, centers on spare and repair parts for key Taiwanese military aircraft along with funding for U.S. government and contractor support.
According to the Pentagon’s announcement, the sale includes components for Taiwan’s U.S.-made F-16 Fighting Falcon and C-130 Hercules transport aircraft. It also covers parts for Taiwan’s Indigenous Defensive Fighter, the Ching-Kuo, which relies heavily on American technology. The approval marks the first Taiwan-focused arms package formally initiated and authorized by the Trump Administration, despite previous weapons deliveries occurring earlier in the year.
Those earlier transfers were largely tied to backlogged orders approved during prior administrations, including systems allocated to Taiwan under the Biden-era Presidential Drawdown Authority in 2024. As a result, Thursday’s authorization represents the first transaction directly shaped under Trump rather than inherited from ongoing contracts or previous policy decisions.
China reacted swiftly and sharply. During a press briefing on Friday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian condemned the sale as a “grave infringement” on China’s sovereignty and security interests. Lin argued the action violated the one-China principle and accused Washington of sending a “gravely wrong signal” to pro-independence forces in Taiwan.
The decision also follows reports from over the summer that President Trump had canceled a planned $400 million military aid package to Taiwan while trade negotiations with Beijing were underway. That move drew criticism from Republican China hawks, who argued it signaled wavering resolve at a sensitive geopolitical moment.
Complicating matters further is the evolving U.S. National Defense Strategy (NDS). Early drafts produced in the initial months of the Trump presidency emphasized concentrating military resources in the Pacific to deter China. However, by September, a revised NDS circulated calling for a shift in focus toward the Western Hemisphere. Analysts note that the administration’s difficulties in managing the trade conflict with Beijing may have influenced the recalibration away from a China-centered posture.