U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer tried to ease concerns on Sunday about President Donald Trump’s recent comments on arms sales to Taiwan. Greer said there is “no change” in American policy toward the island, even after Trump suggested he might withhold a major weapons deal as leverage against China.
In an interview with ABC’s “This Week,” Greer downplayed any shift in U.S. support for Taiwan. He said Trump is “very focused on making sure that nothing happens there.” Greer added that the president “will keep his own counsel on the sales and when and if that happens.”
The comments came after Trump told Fox News’ Bret Baier last week that he had not yet approved a $14 billion arms package for Taiwan. “I may do it, I may not do it,” Trump said. “I’m holding that in abeyance, and it depends on China. It’s a very good negotiating chip for us, frankly. It’s a lot of weapons.”
Trump made the remarks following a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. China considers Taiwan part of its territory and strongly opposes U.S. arms sales to the island.
This approach appears to mark a shift from long-standing U.S. policy. The Trump administration had approved a record $11 billion arms package for Taiwan in December. However, Trump’s willingness to discuss the issue directly with Xi and tie it to negotiations could violate the “Six Assurances” made by President Ronald Reagan’s administration. Those commitments said the U.S. would not consult Beijing on arms sales to Taiwan.
When asked about this, Trump told reporters he was not bound by an old 1982 agreement. “What am I going to do, say I don’t want to talk to you about it?” he said. He added that he would decide on the arms sale “over the next fairly short period.”
Trump’s position also raises questions about the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act. That law requires the United States to provide Taiwan with defensive arms and maintain the ability to resist any Chinese attempt to change Taiwan’s status by force.
Greer defended the president’s strategy on Sunday, saying it is important for the world’s two largest economies to have a stable relationship. “The issue of Taiwan arms sales is something the Chinese always raise,” he said. “So, the president’s considering how to approach that.”
Not everyone shared the same tone. House Speaker Mike Johnson said on “Fox News Sunday” that the U.S. remains committed to Taiwan. “China cannot just go over and take the land, and we’re going to stand strong and resolute by that,” Johnson said. “I know the Congress will.”
The back-and-forth highlights ongoing tensions in U.S.-China relations and differing views within the U.S. government about how firmly to support Taiwan.
