Taiwan Arms Sale Approved by Congress Is Delayed as Trump Plans Visit to Beijing

[Deeq A.]

An Air Force Patriot missile system was deployed at a local park during Taiwan’s annual Han Kuang military exercise last year. Credit…I-Hwa Cheng/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

The Trump administration has delayed announcing a package of arms sales to Taiwan valued at billions of dollars to avoid upsetting Xi Jinping, China’s leader, ahead of President Trump’s planned trip to Beijing in April, U.S. officials said.

The weapons sale, which includes air-defense missiles, is in an advanced stage. Senior Republican and Democratic lawmakers approved the package after the State Department sent it to them in January for informal review.

However, since then, the sales package has languished in the State Department, the officials said. Administration officials have told some involved in the approval of the sale that the White House ordered agencies not to move forward to ensure that Mr. Trump has a successful summit with Mr. Xi, one official said.

Another official said the package has a total value of about $13 billion, compared with the $11 billion sale that the Trump administration announced in December. The U.S. officials spoke to The New York Times on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive diplomatic and security matters.

The State Department said it does not comment on pending arms sales. “This administration has been very clear that the enduring U.S. commitment to Taiwan continues, as it has for over four decades,” it said in a statement.

The White House referred questions to the State Department.

The topic of U.S. arms sales to Taiwan came up in a Feb. 4 call between Mr. Trump and Mr. Xi, according to a summary of the conversation from Chinese state news organizations.

“The U.S. must handle arms sales to Taiwan with extreme caution,” Mr. Xi told Mr. Trump, according to the summary. Mr. Xi also warned Mr. Trump that the U.S. position on Taiwan was “the most important issue in China-U.S. relations” and that China “will never allow Taiwan to be separated from China.” Click this Click to read the full story