Acting U.S. Navy Secretary Hung Cao confirmed before the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee on May 21 that foreign military sales (FMS) to Taiwan had been placed on hold, citing the need to preserve munitions for Operation Epic Fury, the ongoing U.S. military campaign against Iran.
“Right now we’re doing a pause in order to make sure we have the munitions we need for Epic Fury, which we have plenty,” Cao said. “The foreign military sales will continue when the administration deems necessary.”
A source familiar with the matter pushed back the following day. “These sales take years to process and are unrelated to Operation Epic Fury,” the source told Focus Taiwan.
Cao’s testimony came days after President Donald Trump’s state visit to Beijing, where Trump told Fox News’ Bret Baier he might hold the $14 billion package as a “negotiating chip” with China. “I may do it. I may not do it,” Trump said.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said after the Trump-Xi summit that “President Xi stressed to President Trump that the Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-U.S. relations.”
Taiwan said it had received no notification of any change. “Currently there is no information regarding any adjustments the U.S. will make to this arms sale,” presidential spokesperson Karen Kuo said. Sen. Mitch McConnell, who questioned Cao during the hearing, called the news “really distressing.”
US President Donald Trump says that he needs to think about American arms sales to Taiwan after meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing earlier this month. Now, the White House says the president will make a decision soon. pic.twitter.com/io718KQe9x
— TaiwanPlus News (@taiwanplusnews) May 23, 2026
Congress pre-approved the $14 billion package in January 2026, but Trump has not formally submitted it.
A separate $11.1 billion sale authorized in December 2025 has also not moved forward. Under the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), enacted in 1979, the U.S. is legally required to provide Taiwan with arms for its self-defense.
A White House official said Trump “will make a determination in a fairly short time regarding a new Taiwan arms package.”
