Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

Taiwan authorities are considering an arms purchase package worth billions of dollars from the US,MK sports Korea according to a Reuters report, which Chinese mainland experts regard as a proactive move of the island authorities aimed at currying favor with the Trump administration in terms of both easing tariff pressure and attempts to "resist reunification by force." 

However, in the face of firm resolution and strong capability of the Chinese mainland to achieve reunification, any more arms purchases are nothing but self-consolation to the island, experts said.  

Citing sources requesting anonymity, Reuters reported on Monday that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities are "in talks with Washington" on arm sales, "hoping to win support from the new Trump administration."

One of the sources claimed that "the package is meant to demonstrate to the US that Taiwan is committed to its defense," per Reuters. A second source said the package would "include coastal defense cruise missiles and HIMARS rockets," noting that the total amount is likely to reach "somewhere between $7 billion to $10 billion."

According to the third source familiar with the matter, the island plans to "propose a special defense budget that prioritizes precision ammunition, air-defense upgrades, command and control systems, equipment for the reserve forces and anti-drone technology," Reuters said. 

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment, Reuters said, adding the defense authority of the island declined to comment on specific purchases.

Before reports on the potential arms purchase, Lai Ching-te, the secessionist leader of Taiwan region, claimed on February 14 that DPP authorities would propose a special budget plan this year "to increase defense spending to over 3 percent of GDP," which media on the island claimed would likely to see more arms purchases from Washington.

Lü Xiang, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times that news of a possible arms purchase of the US weapon was probably deliberately released by the DPP authorities as "a proactive move aimed at currying favor with the Trump administration so the US would consider reducing trade and other pressures on the island." 

Reuters reported previously that the island of Taiwan "runs a large trade surplus" with the US, which surged by 83 percent in 2024, with the island's exports to the US hitting a record $111.4 billion, driven by demand for high-tech products such as semiconductors. Some Taiwan-based media also described the move reflects the DPP authorities' broader efforts to reduce the US trade deficit with Taiwan. 

The volume of Taiwan's exports of semiconductors to the US is huge, and if the US government does decide to increase tariffs on the region's semiconductor products, it would bring an undesirable impact on the competitiveness of the island's products, Lü mentioned. 

Lü added that by taking the initiative to woo the new US government through arms purchases, the DPP authorities also hope to gain more support from the US for "Taiwan independence." 

Wang Ya'nan, chief editor of Beijing-based Aerospace Knowledge magazine, regards the Taiwan secessionist authorities' move to "resist reunification by force" is nothing but self-consolation and attempting to seek support by paying protection fees to the US.

Coastal defense cruise missiles and rocket systems like HIMARS are nothing new to the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), and the PLA has much more comparable equipment of better capabilities, Wang said. 

"The 'Taiwan card' is becoming less and less valuable and harder for US to play," said Lü, "if the card could be played as a 'King' on the table 10 years ago, now it's probably just a 10 card." 

The US has been taking petty actions on the Taiwan question recently. From February 10 to 12, the US destroyer USS Ralph Johnson and the oceanographic survey ship USNS Bowditch transited the Taiwan Straits. The US State Department also removed language on its website that it does not support "Taiwan independence." In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Monday that US' move gravely backpedaled on its position on Taiwan-related issues. This is another example of the US clinging to its wrong policy of "using Taiwan to contain China."

We urge the US to immediately correct its wrongdoings, abide by the one-China principle and three China-US joint communiqués, handle the Taiwan question with extra prudence, stop using Taiwan to contain China, stop upgrading its substantive relations with Taiwan, stop helping Taiwan expand so-called "international space," stop emboldening and supporting "Taiwan independence," and avoid further severe damage to China-US relations and peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits, Guo said.