TAIPEI: Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te said on Sunday that Taiwan will never be “traded away” as he pressed the United States to keep selling weapons to the island democracy to maintain regional peace.

Lai’s comments came after US President Donald Trump suggested arms sales to Taiwan could be used as a bargaining chip with China, which claims the island is part of its territory and has threatened to seize it by force.

Trump wrapped up a state visit to Beijing on Friday where Chinese President Xi Jinping had pushed him not to support Taiwan, which depends heavily on US security backing to deter a potential Chinese attack.

“The United States’ continued arms sales to Taiwan and deepening of Taiwan-US security cooperation are not only necessary but also key elements in maintaining regional peace and stability,” Lai said in a statement on Facebook.

Lai insisted that Taiwan, a global powerhouse in AI technology and semiconductor chip manufacturing, was at the “core” of global interests and “will never be sacrificed or traded away”.

Trump’s remarks after the summit that US arms sales to Taiwan “depends on China” and were a “very good negotiating chip for us” have alarmed Taipei, which insists such sales are part of Washington’s security commitment to the island.

The United States is required under US law to provide weapons to Taiwan for its defence, but it has been ambiguous on whether US forces would come to its aid.

US House Speaker Mike Johnson said on Sunday he thought Lai’s statement was a “reasonable thing for the leader there to say”. “They’ve got to flex their muscle a little bit,” Johnson told Fox News.

“China cannot just go take over land, and we’re going to stand strong, and the Congress will.”

Published in Dawn, May 18th, 2026