Taiwan Parliament Approves Signing of U.S. Arms Deals Before Sunday Deadline to Avoid Losing Place in Queue

Taiwan's parliament has long been at odds over defence spending, with President Lai Ching-te's government seeking $40 billion in extra funding while opposition parties, which control the most seats, rejected the proposals as unclear "blank checks." The dispute raised alarm in Washington. On Friday, parliament unanimously authorized the government to sign four U.S. arms sale packages, covering TOW anti-tank missiles, M109A7 self-propelled howitzers, Javelin missiles, and 82 HIMARS rocket systems worth $11 billion, before the March 26 deadline. Defence Minister Wellington Koo had warned that missing the deadline would push Taiwan to the back of the production and delivery queue, sending the wrong signal to Washington amid China's intensifying military drills around the island.