US 'very much' understands Taiwan's defence needs, Taipei official says

The United States "very much" understands Taiwan's defence needs and the severe military threat it faces from China, a senior Taiwanese diplomat said on Sunday, following a Washington summit between the US and Chinese leaders.



Democratically governed Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, has been waiting for months for US President Donald Trump to approve a new arms sales package worth some $14 billion, following up on a record $11 billion deal unveiled last December.



After meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing in May, Trump said he was keeping the latest arms sales package in abeyance. Trump has not mentioned the sale since last week's summit, saying only on Saturday that Xi understands his position on Taiwan.



Speaking to reporters in Taipei, Taiwan Deputy Foreign Minister Chen Ming-chi pointed to comments by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio that military sales to anyone require the same careful consideration.



"Taiwan faces a severe situation in the Taiwan Strait. Even though China's economy is declining, it continues investing more resources into building military capacity. Under this context, the US very much understands our defence needs," he said.



Washington also understands Taiwan's determination to invest in its military, Chen added.