The U.S. Department of War has approved $11.1 billion in arms sales to Taiwan, making it the largest U.S. weapons package ever for the island, on top of a $330 million U.S. deal in November for spare and repair parts for aircraft, Reuters reports on Dec. 18.
China denounced the arms sale in strong terms. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said the move violates the one-China principle and China-U.S. communiqués, infringes on China’s sovereignty, and undermines stability in the Taiwan Strait. He warned that the arms sales embolden “Taiwan independence” forces, risk turning Taiwan into a “powder keg,” and cross the most significant “red line” in China-U.S. relations. He said, “using Taiwan to contain China will never succeed.”
The arms deal spans eight separate purchases, including the sale of 82 HIMARS rocket systems and 420 ATACMS missiles valued at more than $4 billion, anti-tank and anti-armor missiles, loitering munitions, howitzers, military software and spare parts, according to details released by both governments.
Reuters reported that the United States has pushed Taiwan to “transform its armed forces to be able to wage ‘asymmetric warfare,’ using mobile, smaller and often cheaper weapons which still pack a targeted punch, like drones.”
Taiwan presidential office spokeswoman Karen Kuo thanked the United States for the sales: “Our country will continue to perform defense reforms, strengthen whole-of-society defense resilience, demonstrate our determination to defend ourself, and safeguard peace through strength.”
For context, recall that on Nov. 17, 2025, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told the legislature that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could constitute a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan, indicating that it could potentially trigger Tokyo’s military response. Japan also announced that it plans to deploy Type 03 medium-range surface-to-air missiles, along with electronic warfare units, on Yonaguchi Island, Japan’s closest point to Taiwan (about 110 km away).
