US President Donald Trump may approve a major arms deal with Taiwan after his visit to China in late March, Reuters reported.
According to the agency, the arms deal worth $14 billion mainly includes interceptor missiles, in particular PAC-3, used in the Patriot system, and NASAMS. “As soon as the president gives his approval, everything will be ready to be officially announced“, the agency quoted an unnamed source as saying.
In addition, Reuters reports that a $6 billion package for an “asymmetric defense system“ is awaiting approval from US authorities. The source declined to disclose what weapons the island might receive as part of the deal.
In late February, The New York Times reported that the US administration had postponed a billion-dollar arms sale to Taiwan, fearing a backlash from Chinese President Xi Jinping ahead of the US president's visit, which is expected to take place in late March or early April.