Taiwan’s top U.S. diplomat argues the island must buy American weapons to defend itself amid intense pressure from China, while stressing that U.S. policy toward Taiwan remains unchanged.

The proposed $14 billion U.S. arms sale to Taiwan remains in limbo after Donald Trump’s Beijing trip, with Trump calling the package a potential negotiating chip with China despite prior congressional approval.

Taiwan faces a security environment of near-daily Chinese military activity around the island as Beijing treats Taiwan as a core interest and opposes moves toward independence.

Akie Abe, Shinzo Abe’s widow, opened the forum, underscoring a commitment to continuing her husband’s legacy and global impact.

Lee Shih-hui described plans for international forums in Japan and the use of Taiwan-based objective research to illustrate Abe’s impact on regional peace and safety in the Strait.

Taiwan and Japan had recently advanced digital economic cooperation and supply chain ties, with optimism that bilateral progress will continue across sectors.

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te urged deeper cooperation with Japan in technology, security, disaster preparedness, and maritime security to strengthen a free and open Indo-Pacific.

The forum at the Shinzo Abe Research Center in Taiwan centered on Abe’s grand strategy and Taiwan-Japan relations as a cornerstone of the Indo-Pacific.

Lai credited Abe with drawing international attention to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait through Abe’s declarations on contingency planning.

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The comments were delivered during an interview in Washington on June 17, 2026, and reported by AP.

Cheng met with a mix of Republican and Democratic lawmakers during her visit, signaling bipartisan engagement on arms purchases.