Forbes is urging President Donald Trump to approve a US$14 billion arms sale immediately, arguing that “helping Taiwan helps the U.S.” in terms of American credibility, deterrence and strategic consistency. 

The article, published July 28 on Forbes.com and written by Forbes Media Chairman and Editor-in-Chief Steve Forbes, notes that Congress already pre-approved the package in January. Still, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said in June and again in late July that the sale remains under internal review.

Forbes writes that the Taiwan Relations Act commits Washington to help Taiwan maintain a credible self-defense capability, and that delays in executing congressionally approved arms sales signal to allies and adversaries alike that U.S. promises could be traded in negotiations with Beijing. He warns this would damage U.S. credibility far beyond any single deal, compounded by past slow delivery of weapons already approved.

The piece says that Taiwanese military planners have built parts of their defense strategy around specific systems in the package, including anti-ship missiles and ammunition central to the porcupine strategy designed to make any invasion prohibitively costly. With China intensifying military pressure, each month of delay creates vulnerabilities in Taiwan’s preparedness, Forbes argues.

Forbes also stresses that recent U.S. administrations, including Trump’s first term, treated Taiwan arms sales as routine and separate from broader China diplomacy to avoid giving Beijing a veto over U.S. defense commitments. Using the sales as leverage in trade talks or summit diplomacy would break that precedent and invite future Chinese pressure on other arms packages, he writes. 

Timing matters, the article adds, with Taiwan’s 2028 presidential election approaching. Approving the sale now would reassure Taipei and the region that U.S. support remains steady regardless of shifts in the U.S.-China relationship, Forbes concludes.