During a congressional hearing on 21/5, acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao was questioned about the stalled USD 14 billion arms deal to Taiwan.

He stated that Washington is only "temporarily suspending" the deal to ensure sufficient ammunition for the "Horrific Fury" operation in the Middle East, while affirming that US forces still have sufficient weapon reserves. "We are just ensuring we have everything we need. Arms sales to partners will continue when the administration deems it necessary", he said.

The US Department of State and the Pentagon have not commented on the acting Secretary of the Navy's statement.

Acting US Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao speaking before the House Armed Services Committee on 19/5. Photo: Reuters

This statement raises further concerns about President Donald Trump's commitment to supporting Taiwan.

China has always viewed the island of Taiwan as an inalienable part of its territory and is ready to use all means to achieve unification. The US is committed to respecting the "One China" principle and does not support an independent Taiwan, but often avoids publicly opposing the island's independence.

Under the Taiwan Relations Act, signed by President Jimmy Carter after Washington established diplomatic relations with Beijing in 1979, the US must support Taiwan's defensive capabilities. However, Washington maintains a strategic ambiguity regarding its military intervention to support the island if conflict erupts.

The US President has not yet committed to advancing the arms deal for the island. Before his visit to China earlier this month, Trump confirmed he would discuss the issue of arms sales to Taiwan with Chinese President Xi Jinping, a departure from Washington's previous stance that it did not need to consult Beijing on the matter.

At the end of his visit, Trump stated he made no commitments to Xi regarding Taiwan but was not yet ready to announce a decision on the arms deal. Speaking to reporters after leaving Beijing, President Trump confirmed that President Xi had raised the issue of US arms sales to Taiwan. However, he stated he made no commitments either way and declined to confirm whether the US would defend Taiwan if the island were attacked.

Thanh Danh (According to AFP, CBS)