【Epoch Times, December 20, 2025】 The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) of the US Department of Defense announced the latest arms sales to Taiwan on December 17, totaling about $11 billion, notifying the Congressional procedures.
Experts analyze that the large-scale arms sales to Taiwan by the US represent mutual trust between Taiwan and the US, dispelling suspicions of the US, and at the same time, it can realize the construction of the “Taiwan Shield.” The latest public opinion in Taiwan supports increasing defense budgets and indicates an increase in self-defense awareness.
Regarding the second arms sales to Taiwan during the Trump administration, the Associated Press reported that the fluctuations in US-China relations are mainly due to trade and tariff issues but are also related to Beijing’s increasingly hard-line stance towards Taiwan. US officials revealed that the Trump administration plans to exceed the scale of arms sales to Taiwan in the second term as part of its strategy to contain the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
The National Security Strategy (NSS) announced by the Trump administration in December emphasizes maintaining military superiority to prevent conflicts in the Taiwan Strait.
The Pentagon stated that this arms sale aligns with US national security interests, helping Taiwan advance military modernization and maintain reliable self-defense capabilities. With US support, Taiwan is working on reforming its military, adopting an “asymmetric warfare” strategy utilizing highly mobile, cost-effective, and precision-strike small weapons such as drones.
This sale is the highest-value arms sale to Taiwan since the Bush administration in 2001, seen as a significant response from Washington amid the increasingly tense situation in the Taiwan Strait, sparking strong backlash from the CCP.
A spokesman from the Chinese Ministry of National Defense, Jiang Bin, stated on the 19th that the US announcement of a large-scale arms sale to Taiwan severely violates the One China principle and the three Sino-American Joint Communiqués. He expressed China’s dissatisfaction and has lodged a solemn representation to the US.
Regarding the largest arms sale to Taiwan in 25 years, former Dean of the College of Political Warfare at the National Defense University of Taiwan, Yu Zongji, stated in an interview with Epoch Times that the US is directly telling Taiwan not to worry, as the US is strengthening Taiwan’s defense capabilities. The US’s current attitude is strategically clear, leaving no room for ambiguity, signifying a strong commitment to Taiwan’s security.
Su Ziyun, Director of Taiwan’s Department of Defense Strategy and Resources, also pointed out in a media interview the strategic significance of this major arms sale as a symbol of mutual trust between Taiwan and the US, as evidenced by the support for Taiwan in various US legislation and actions such as the Defense Authorization Act for 2026, the National Security Strategy (NSS) report, and the Taiwan Assurance Act.
Popular political commentator Jiang Feng mentioned in his “Jiang Feng Moment” program that the passing of the Defense Authorization Act for 2026 and the Taiwan Assurance Act means that supporting Taiwan’s defense is no longer optional for any future US president but a mandatory obligation. It institutionalizes arms sales to Taiwan, shifting them from executive orders by the US president to legislative duties of the Congress.
The detailed items of the US arms sales to Taiwan announced by the Department of Defense on the 17th include the continuation of the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), M109A7 self-propelled howitzers, anti-armor unmanned aerial vehicle missile systems, Taiwan Tactical Network (TTN) and the Tactical Aide Kit (TAK), Javelin anti-armor missiles, TOW missile systems, AH-1W helicopter spare parts, and Harpoon missile repair kits, totaling 8 cases.
Regarding this record-setting single arms sale to Taiwan, Rupert Hammond-Chambers, President of the US-Taiwan Business Council, stated in a press release on the 17th that the arms sale package is a comprehensive combination, enhancing existing stocks and improving intelligence collection, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities through the ALTIUS-700 unmanned aerial vehicle. The HIMARS long-range precision strike system and the M109A7 self-propelled howitzer play critical roles in destroying enemy vessels and landing craft and countering established enemy beachheads.
Su Ziyun pointed out that with the addition of 82 HIMARS launchers in this arms purchase, along with previously acquired systems, totaling 111 vehicles, Taiwan can form three strike groups deployed in the northern, central, and southern regions for cross-zone firepower reinforcement and countermeasures against the other side.
Hammond-Chambers also noted that weapons like HIMARS have proven effective in countering Russian forces in Ukraine and could become essential weapons for Taiwan to counter a CCP invasion.
Jiang Feng in his program mentioned that the $11 billion arms sales are a Christmas gift from the US to Taiwan, making Taiwan the foreign country with the most HIMARS systems outside the US mainland.
Yu Zongji believes that the most significant interpretation of this $11 billion arms purchase is to expedite the establishment of the “Taiwan Shield” that President Lai Ching-te aims to build. The acquisition of the 8 major weapons highlights that the US is directly selling Taiwan its most advanced weapon systems, integrating Taiwan’s “Taiwan Shield” related communication data links into a comprehensive battlefield communication system.
“This will enable Taiwan to integrate its long-range, mid-range, and short-range air defense systems with the US’s latest weapon platforms on the ground to form a multi-layered defense system. This will allow Taiwan to have a completely mobile ground defense, making it more difficult for the CCP to destroy it in the first instance,” Yu Zongji said.
President Lai Ching-te of Taiwan announced the “Strengthening Defense Resilience and Asymmetric Warfare Capability Arms Procurement Project” in November, with a budget allocation of NT$1.25 trillion over eight years. However, after the special bill was sent to the Legislative Yuan, it was repeatedly boycotted and put on hold by the opposition camp.
Mei Fuxing, director of the Taiwan Strait Security Analysis Center, an independent think tank in the US, analyzed to BBC Chinese that the most unusual aspect of the US arms sale process this time is that the US notified Congress formally before Taiwan passed the relevant budget, breaking the tacit understanding and norms in arms sales procedures between Taiwan and the US over the past years.
Mei Fuxing pointed out that at least 5 items of this arms sale were negotiated earlier than a month ago, and the US’s “advance” notification to Taiwan is different from before, suggesting it could be a move to break the budget deadlock between the ruling party and the opposition in Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan.
According to the Taiwan Public Opinion Foundation’s latest real-time poll released on November 16, faced with the central government’s defense budget planning up to NT$949.5 billion, accounting for 3.32% of the GDP by 2026, 49.4% of the people expressed support while 39.7% opposed, with supporters significantly exceeding those opposed by nearly 10 percentage points.
The Taiwan Public Opinion Foundation stated that the poll results reflect that the majority of Taiwanese are willing to assume a high defense budget to enhance self-defense capabilities, showing readiness to accept policies that strengthen national defense self-defense capabilities.
On November 28, the Taiwan Aspirations Association released the latest “Taiwan Situation Survey,” where a high 65% of the respondents believe that Taiwan’s current defense is insufficient to protect national security.
In response, Yu Zongji expressed that the opposition camp’s boycott cannot withstand the test of public opinion. From various polls, it is evident that the public hopes to support preparations for strengthening national defense. In this scenario, irrespective of the opposition party’s ideologies or political stances, in a democratic country, public opinion is the ultimate arbiter.
Yu Zongji stated that the US arms sale is ultimately aimed at reinforcing Taiwan’s national defense and people’s confidence, as well as dispelling doubts about the reliability of the US.