Republican senators Mitch McConnell, John Cornyn, Lisa Murkowski and Thom Tillis urged the Trump administration on Wednesday to release more than $15 billion in stalled security assistance for Taiwan, ahead of Xi Jinping’s three-day visit to Washington.
In a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the senators cited $300 million in congressionally approved foreign military financing that the State Department had not advanced, $1 billion in Defense Department funds not yet obligated, and the administration’s withholding of approval for a $14 billion foreign military sales package. They also objected to Trump’s description of Taiwan as a “very good negotiating chip.”
Xi is expected to press Trump to stop Taiwan arms sales during the visit, sources told Reuters. China regards Taiwan as its territory and has repeatedly called for arms sales to stop; U.S. law requires the United States to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself. Rubio said the administration must balance global needs, noting that weapons sold are not available immediately and may be produced later. Trump approved an $11 billion package in December, the largest ever; a second package worth about $14 billion has been on hold for months.
