Trump offers Xi US arms as Taiwan awaits a $14bn weapons package still on hold

From the Newshound archive · first published 29 September 2026.

Donald Trump and Xi Jinping. Taiwan's $14 billion US arms package remains frozen as Trump pursues a broader deal with Beijing, deepening diplomatic confusion.

Taiwan is being used as a bargaining chip in Donald Trump's dealings with Beijing, with a $14 billion US arms sale to the island remaining frozen even as Trump appeared to signal to China he could eventually approve it. Taiwan's government insists its arms relationship with Washington is unchanged, but the package has not moved. Trump has disputed his own ambassador's account that he asked President Xi directly whether China wanted to buy American weapons.

The $14bn arms package has been on hold as Trump pursues a broader deal with Beijing.

Taiwan's officials are publicly playing down any shift, but the island is watching Washington's next move closely.

Trump's public contradiction of his own ambassador's version of the Xi conversation deepens the diplomatic confusion.

The Times‘Bargaining chip’ Taiwan awaits US arms as Trump offers Xi weapons APTaiwan says US arms sales to island are unchanged, but a $14B package remains on hold APTrump disputes his ambassador's account that he asked China's president if he wanted to buy US arms

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