Taiwan's Top US Envoy: Ties With Washington Remain Strong After Trump-Xi Summit

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"Relations Remain Robust"

Speaking at a Washington symposium on Wednesday, Alexander Yui said the United States has made clear that its policy toward Taiwan has not changed. "I can say quite confidently that US-Taiwan relations remain robust," he told the audience.

Yui is Taiwan's de facto ambassador. The US and Taiwan have no formal diplomatic ties, so his office serves as the island's embassy in all but name.

He spoke about two weeks after Trump and Xi met in September. Taiwan's foreign minister, Lin Chia-lung, and former president Tsai Ing-wen are both visiting the US this week.

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Peace Through Strength

Yui argued that the best way to keep the peace is to be strong. Aggression, he said, should never look like an easy or cheap option for Beijing.

He also made a practical point. Money spent on defense only counts if the weapons arrive on schedule, soldiers are trained to use them, and the investment turns into real military capability.

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The $14 Billion Question

Trump has not yet approved a new $14 billion arms package for Taiwan. After meeting Xi in Beijing in May, he described the package as a bargaining chip in his dealings with China. He has also said he wants to protect the trade truce with Beijing.

The delay follows an earlier $11 billion package that Trump approved in December. Beijing claims Taiwan as its own territory, although the Chinese Communist Party has never ruled it. It has repeatedly demanded an end to US arms sales.

Under US law, Washington must help Taiwan defend itself, even though it does not formally recognize the island's government.

For supporters of Trump's deal-making style, the hold-up is a sign of tough negotiating. Others in Taiwan worry that delayed approvals could weaken the island's defenses. Yui's comments suggest Taipei is trying to avoid public friction while making its needs clear.

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New Fighter Jets, Long Delays

Yui pointed to a concrete sign of progress. On October 2, the first two of 66 new F-16V Block 70 fighter jets landed at Chihhang Air Base in eastern Taiwan.

The US approved that $8 billion sale in 2019. Taiwan's own news agency reported that deliveries were originally expected to start in 2023 and finish this year. Technical problems pushed the schedule back, and the first two jets arrived about a month later than planned.

Taiwan's air force needs the planes. It has to scramble jets almost daily to shadow Chinese military aircraft. Once all the new F-16Vs are delivered, Taiwan will have more than 200 F-16s.

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Is 2027 the Deadline?

Reuters has reported that US officials increasingly believe a Chinese invasion before 2028 is unlikely. This is despite reports that Xi has told his military to be ready to take Taiwan by force by 2027 if necessary.

Yui said Taiwan does not plan its defense around one date. People have named 2027, 2028 or later, he noted. His answer was the same in every case: make Taiwan stronger, more resilient and harder for an adversary to pressure.

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What to Watch Next

The main open question is whether Trump will release the $14 billion package, and when. Equally important is how fast approved weapons actually reach Taiwan. For now, Taipei is publicly confident in its ties with Washington and is asking that promises turn into deliveries.

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Sources

1. Reuters, "Taiwan's US envoy says ties robust after Trump-Xi summit" (Oct 7, 2026): https://www.reuters.com/world/china/taiwans-us-envoy-says-ties-robust-after-trump-xi-summit-2026-10-07/
2. Reuters, "First new F-16V fighter jets arrive in Taiwan to bolster defences against China" (Oct 2, 2026): https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/first-new-f-16v-fighter-jets-arrive-taiwan-bolster-defences-against-china-2026-10-02/
3. Focus Taiwan (Central News Agency), "Taiwan receives first 2 F-16V Block 70s" (Oct 2, 2026): https://focustaiwan.tw/politics/202610020006
4. Reuters, "US sees Chinese invasion of Taiwan unlikely next year despite 2027 timeline" (Oct 1, 2026): https://www.reuters.com/world/china/us-sees-chinese-invasion-taiwan-unlikely-next-year-despite-2027-timeline-sources-2026-10-01/

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