Lai Says Taiwan “Won’t Be Traded” Amid Trump Remarks on Arms Deal

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said the self-ruled democracy cannot be traded away, days after U.S. President Donald Trump described a planned $14 billion arms sale to Taipei as a bargaining chip with China, according to a Bloomberg News report by Catherine Ngai and Twinnie Siu.

Lai's position is that the island is already a sovereign democratic state. (Photo: 賴清德Lai Ching-te X)

“Taiwan will never be sacrificed or traded,” Lai said in a Facebook post Sunday evening, adding that the island’s central role in Indo-Pacific security and global supply chains — particularly in artificial intelligence and semiconductors — makes stability a shared interest among democratic nations.

The remarks followed last week’s meeting in Beijing between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, who warned that mishandling the Taiwan issue could push the world’s two largest powers toward conflict.

After the summit, Trump told reporters he had made no commitments on Taiwan and would soon decide on the weapons package.

He later told Fox News that the planned arms sale was “a very good negotiating chip,” raising questions about the extent of U.S. military support for Taipei.

Trump also said he does not want Taiwan to “go independent” and called on both Taiwan and China to “cool down.”

Lai rejected claims that Taiwan seeks independence, saying “there’s no independence issue” and reiterating his position that the island is already a sovereign democratic state.