Trump says Taiwan arms sale under consideration, will speak with Lai

Washington, June 5 (CNA) U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that his administration is still considering a proposed US$14 billion arms sale to Taiwan and indicated he plans to discuss the issue with President Lai Ching-te (賴清德).

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump was asked whether he had decided on the arms package.

"We're looking at that. Yeah. We're looking at that," Trump said. Asked whether he still planned to speak with Lai about the proposed sale, Trump replied: "I'll always talk to him."

Trump's remarks came weeks after he said following a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in Beijing in May that a decision on a new arms package for Taiwan would be made soon.

● No update on U.S. arms sales to Taiwan: Presidential spokesperson

Lai has previously said that, if given the opportunity to speak with Trump, he would stress that strengthening Taiwan's defense capabilities and purchasing U.S. weapons are necessary measures to safeguard Taiwan's security and maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

The proposed arms package remains under review within the U.S. administration, according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Speaking at a congressional hearing earlier this week, Rubio said the package had not been "paused" but was continuing through the review process.

Rubio said the proposed sale is significant in scale and would have implications for the U.S. defense industry and its future production capacity, requiring careful consideration.

He also reiterated that Washington does not consult Beijing on arms sales to Taiwan and said U.S. policy toward Taiwan remains unchanged.