For Taiwan, Trump's 'protection' money may mean new and early arms deals

7/11/2024 17:02

        Taiwan may demonstrate it takes Donald Trump's "protection" money demand seriously with large and early new arms deals, showing it is not looking for a free ride and is determined to show Washington its resolve to spend to defend itself.
        
        Trump, who won a second term as president this week, unnerved democratically governed Taiwan, which is claimed by China, by saying that Taiwan should pay the U.S. for its defence and that it had taken semiconductor business away from America.
        
        "Watch for Taiwan on the defence side to try and start engaging them on a big arms package - to do something significant, very large," Rupert Hammond-Chambers told Reuters, adding it could come in the first quarter of next year.
        
        The U.S. is already Taiwan's most important arms supplier, although Taiwan has complained of an order backlog worth some $20 billion. A new order, almost $2 billion of missile systems, was announced last month.