US Republican Senator and Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker said Washington must uphold its security commitments to Taiwan, as questions continue over the future of US military assistance to the island.
Wicker made the statement after meeting Taiwan’s representative to the United States, Alexander Yui, on September 29. Their discussions focused on US security commitments to Taiwan and developments involving China and its relations with US allies in the Indo-Pacific.
Wicker pointed to the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, which requires the United States to make defense articles and services available to Taiwan in quantities sufficient for its self-defense. He said members of Congress have a responsibility to ensure the law is followed and that decisions on Taiwan’s defense needs are based on military requirements.
The remarks come after four other Republican senators urged the Trump administration last week to release more than US$15 billion in national security assistance for Taiwan that remains stalled. The issue has added to uncertainty over the timing and scope of future US support.
Washington does not maintain formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan but remains its main international weapons supplier and security partner. Beijing claims Taiwan as part of China, while Taiwan’s government rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claim and maintains that its future should be decided by its people.
Wicker said Congress has already authorized and appropriated additional resources for Taiwan, including enhanced training, security assistance and arms sales. He argued that those authorities should be used for the purposes approved by Congress.
The issue has become more sensitive following US President Donald Trump’s recent meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington. In May, Trump had said a new Taiwan arms package worth about US$14 billion was being kept in abeyance after an earlier meeting with Xi.
Wicker also called for Washington to maintain an earlier policy precedent under former President Ronald Reagan, when the United States said it would not consult Beijing over arms sales to Taiwan.
Taiwanese officials have meanwhile said they continue to communicate with Washington over arms purchases. Defense Minister Wellington Koo said Taiwan had received reassurances following the Trump-Xi summit that US policy toward Taiwan had not changed.
The latest statements highlight the continuing tension between Washington’s legal and security commitments to Taiwan, Beijing’s opposition to US arms sales, and the broader US-China relationship. The timing and implementation of future military assistance remain closely watched by Taiwan and regional governments.
