China delays Pentagon official’s visit amid US-Taiwan arms row

China is reportedly slowing plans for a visit to Beijing by Elbridge Colby, the Pentagon’s under-secretary of defence for policy, as it seeks to pressure Donald Trump over a proposed $14bn arms package for Taiwan, according to the Financial Times.

The paper said Chinese officials have effectively put the trip on hold, signalling that they will not move ahead until Mr Trump decides how he intends to handle the weapons sale. The reported delay underlines how Taiwan remains the ...

Trump administration officials have argued that Mr Trump has already approved more arms sales to Taiwan than any previous US president. But the president has also revived uncertainty over the island’s future, saying after his recent trip to China that he had not yet decided whether to proceed with the major package.

In an interview with Fox News, Mr Trump said he did not want to “travel 9,500 miles to fight a war”, adding that he wanted both China and Taiwan to “cool down”. His remarks have fuelled concern among China hawks in Washington, who question how far he would go if Beijing were to escalate military pressure on the island.

Taiwan is central not only to US strategic planning in the Indo-Pacific but also to global chip supply chains, making it a flashpoint far beyond the immediate dispute over arms sales. Beijing has long opposed US weapons deliveries to Taiwan, which it regards as interference in its sovereignty. Washington, by contrast, has justified such sales under the Taiwan Relations Act, which commits the US to help Taiwan maintain a credible self-defence capability.

The reported standoff comes as Mr Trump continues to emphasise his personal rapport with President Xi Jinping, describing their ties as strong even as broader relations remain tense. For now, the Colby visit appears to have become another bargaining chip in that wider contest.

Source: Noah Wire Services