"The decision, which may still be reversed, marks a U-turn inU.S. policy toward the self-governing island nation that China claims as its own territory, said the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. Two people familiar with the matter said the package was worth more than $400 million and would have been "more lethal" than past rounds of aid to Taiwan, including munitions and autonomous drones."
"The Trump administration has broadly tempered U.S. competition with China in an effort to reach a wide-reaching trade deal with Beijing - easing export controls on high-end semiconductors anddeclining to enforce a congressional ban on the social media app TikTok. Some of the concessions have alarmed members of the first Trump administration and Republican lawmakers, who have also voiced concerns about insufficient support for Taiwan's overstretched defenses."
"In a statement, a White House official said the decision on the aid package had not yet been "finalized." Taiwan's unofficial embassy in Washington declined to comment. America's military has long committed resources to Taiwan's defense, as China's People's Liberation Army rapidly builds up forces and stages more elaborate drills around the island. Xi has instructed the PLA to be capable of seizing Taiwan by 2027, according to U.S. military and intelligence officials, who stress that the date is not a deadline for an invasion."
President Trump declined to approve a military aid package worth more than $400 million for Taiwan, representing a reversal in U.S. policy toward the self-governing island that China claims. The package reportedly included munitions and autonomous drones and would have been more lethal than prior aid rounds. The decision occurred amid efforts to secure a broad trade deal and a potential summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. U.S. officials warn that China is rapidly building PLA capabilities and that Xi has instructed forces to be capable of seizing Taiwan by 2027. Some former officials and lawmakers say reducing arms shipments now would weaken Taiwan's defenses.
Read at The Washington Post
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