U.S. arms sales to Taiwan must consider global needs, says Rubio

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has stated that arms sales to Taiwan cannot be considered in isolation, noting that the U.S. must account for global military requirements, weapon stockpiles, and domestic defense industrial capacity.

Following these remarks, Kuomintang (KMT) legislator Hsu Yu-chen criticized the administration of President Lai Ching-te, arguing that the government has failed to secure tangible security guarantees despite increasing arms procurement budgets. Hsu noted that even when Taiwan allocates funds, delivery may not meet security needs due to U.S. supply constraints and shifting geopolitical priorities.

Hsu further warned that the Lai administration is relying too heavily on pro-U.S. rhetoric as a primary diplomatic strategy rather than preparing for worst-case scenarios, such as delivery delays or the use of arms sales as bargaining chips in U.S.-China negotiations. She urged the government to increase transparency regarding delivery delays and to accelerate domestic defense capabilities to ensure Taiwan does not lose its autonomy in security decisions.