Pentagon official’s Beijing visit in doubt over $17.9 billion US arms package for Taiwan, FT reports

Beijing is holding up a proposed visit by Pentagon’s under-secretary of defence for policy Elbridge Colby, as China pressures US President Donald Trump over a US$14 billion (S$17.9 billion) weapons package for Taiwan, the Financial Times reported on May 21.

Mr Colby discussed a summer visit to Beijing with Chinese officials but China has signalled that it cannot approve a visit until Mr Trump decides how he will proceed with the arms package, the report said, citing people familiar with the talks.

Reuters could not immediately verify the FT report. The Pentagon and China’s Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment outside business hours

After last week’s trip to Beijing, Mr Trump said he has not decided whether to proceed with the major weapons sale, adding to uncertainty about US support for the democratically governed island.

Mr Trump told reporters on May 20 that he would speak with Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te, an unprecedented move for a US leader that could roil US relations with China.  A call between the leaders had not yet been scheduled, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters.

Any direct conversation between the United States and Taiwan would ordinarily anger China, which sees the island as its own territory.

US administration officials have noted that Mr Trump has approved the sale of more weapons to Taiwan than any other US president, but Mr Trump has also repeatedly touted his relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping as “amazing”.

Under US law, Washington is required to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself, and both Republican and Democratic US lawmakers have urged the Trump administration to continue with weapons sales.

Taiwan Defence Minister Wellington Koo on May 19 said he was “cautiously optimistic” about arms sales from the US. REUTERS