May 17, 2026, 6:30 p.mMay 17, 2026, 6:30 p.m
US Secretary of Commerce Jamieson Greer at dinner during the President’s trip to China.Image: keystone
The US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer referred to the relevance of the Taiwan Strait when his country was considering further arms sales to the island of Taiwan, which is claimed by China. US President Donald Trump recently caused a stir by describing his pending decision on further arms sales to Taiwan as an effective means of exerting pressure on Beijing. He’s still leaving it up in the air, “it depends on China,” Trump told Fox News. “To be honest, it is a very good trump card for us in negotiations.”
When asked what Trump would demand in return for withholding arms sales, Greer told ABC News: “The most important thing that needs to happen is that there is no change to the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, and the president has been very clear about that.” The strait is an important maritime trade route. It separates the democratically ruled island republic from China, which wants to bind Taiwan to itself through an invasion if necessary. Taiwan relies heavily on weapons from the USA for its defense.
Greer: “We expect the situation to remain stable”
There is no change in US policy on Taiwan, Greer emphasized. “We expect the situation to remain stable.” If China’s state and party leader Xi Jinping changes something about this, that would be a factor that would be taken into account. “The president is very focused on making sure nothing happens there.”
Greer also pointed out that although the US has been selling weapons to Taiwan for years, there have also been several cases in which US presidents have paused this. Trump is currently weighing up how to proceed on the issue.
On the one hand, the US Trade Representative suggested that trade issues could also play a role. At the same time, he also emphasized: “When the president makes a decision on national security, it is really based on the security needs of the USA.”
Pending decision on further arms sales
The possible arms sale would be worth 14 billion US dollars (the equivalent of around 12 billion euros). The US Congress had already approved it in January 2025. China opposes such arms sales because it claims Taiwan as its own, even though the island republic has an independent and democratic government.
“It’s a lot of weapons, but you know, if you look at the circumstances: China is a very, very powerful, big country. “It’s a very small island,” Trump said in his interview with Fox News that aired on Friday (local time). (sda/dpa)