US Puts $14 Billion Arms Sale to Taiwan on 'Pause'; Taiwan Not Notified

The United States has reportedly paused a $14 billion arms deal to Taiwan, a decision that comes after the acting US Navy Secretary cited a need to preserve munitions for the Iran war. Taiwan states it has not received official notification of this pause, escalating international tensions following a recent US-China summit.

Fri May 22 2026

US Announces 'Pause' on $14 Billion Arms Sale to Taiwan

The United States has reportedly placed a planned $14 billion arms sale to Taiwan on hold. This development follows a statement by Acting US Navy Secretary Kong Chang to a Senate committee in Washington, where he indicated that some foreign military sales were being delayed to ensure the American military had sufficient ammunition for the Iran war. The Secretary did not provide a timeline for the resumption of arms sales to Taiwan, stating only that the Trump administration would resume them when deemed necessary. However, the Taiwanese government has reportedly not been notified of any official pause in the planned arms deal.

'Pause' Comes Days After Trump-Xi Summit in Beijing

The decision to pause the arms sale to Taiwan comes just days after a summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. During the two-day summit, Xi Jinping underlined the Taiwan issue as the biggest point of contention in China-US relations, warning that the two countries would clash if the issue was not resolved. This move marks a significant departure from over four decades of US policy towards Taiwan. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, 77% of major conventional arms imported by Taiwan between 1979 and 2020 were of US origin. By the end of his first term in 2020, Trump had notified Congress of over $18 billion in foreign military sales to Taiwan, with a $10 billion package announced last December, and the $14 billion package this year now awaiting approval for months before being put on hold.