Fox Business correspondent Lydia Hu reports on recent comments by Taiwan’s top diplomat, Alexander Yui. He warns of China’s regional ambitions as President Donald Trump evaluates a proposed $14 billion arms package for Taiwan. Yui emphasizes Taiwan’s critical role as a front-line defense against China’s wider goals, highlighting the island’s pivotal position due to its production of 90% of the world’s advanced semiconductors. This makes US support essential for maintaining stability.
The Taiwan National Security Council revealed that China deployed over 100 vessels around Taiwan following President Trump’s summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. Secretary General Joseph Wu shared this information on X, noting, “Our ISR/intel shows that the PRC deployed over 100 vessels around the 1st Island Chain over the past few days, soon after the Beijing summit.” Wu considers China a significant threat to regional peace and stability.
“In this part of the world, China is the one & only PROBLEM wrecking the status quo & threatening regional peace & stability,” Wu concluded.
A graphic from Taiwan’s National Security Council illustrates alleged Chinese ship activity in the South China Sea, East China Sea, and nearby regions, including Taiwan and the Philippines. This revelation came shortly after Acting U.S. Navy Secretary Hung Cao informed lawmakers of a temporary pause in weapons shipments to Taiwan, emphasizing the need to ensure munitions for other priorities.
Cao stated during a Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee hearing, “Right now we’re doing a pause in order to make sure we have the munitions we need for Epic Fury.” This pause came after the Trump-Xi summit, where Chinese officials underscored the importance of the Taiwan question in US-China diplomatic relations.
U.S. lawmakers approved the $14 billion weapons package for Taiwan in January, yet President Trump has not yet confirmed the approval. Taiwanese officials stated they received no notification of potential pauses, as reported by The Associated Press. Cao’s announcement followed discussions where China clarified that the Taiwan issue is its top priority in relations with the US.
In a statement, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning highlighted that President Xi stressed the Taiwan question as the primary issue in China-U.S. relations during the bilateral meeting with President Trump. “If it is handled properly, the bilateral relationship will enjoy overall stability. Otherwise, the two countries will have clashes and even conflicts, putting the entire relationship in great jeopardy,” Mao concluded.
Fox News Digital sought additional comments from the White House, Taiwanese government representatives, and China’s Foreign Ministry.
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