Beijing condemns $11.1 billion US arms deal with Taiwan

China swiftly condemned the United States’ approval of an $11.1 billion arms sale to Taiwan, the largest-ever weapons package for the island. Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office, accused Washington of violating the “one China” principle and urged it to halt arms sales. She also accused Taiwan’s leadership of attempting to turn the island into a “war porcupine,” warning that such a course would reduce its people to “cannon fodder.”

The $11.1 billion deal, announced on December 17–18, 2025, includes a range of advanced military systems aimed at bolstering Taiwan’s security capabilities.

The package includes HIMARS multiple rocket launchers and M109A7 self-propelled howitzers, each worth over $4 billion, designed to enhance Taiwan’s long-range strike capabilities. It also provides Javelin and TOW anti-tank missile systems, valued at $375 million and $353 million respectively, and over $1.1 billion worth of ALTIUS-600 and ALTIUS-700M unmanned aerial vehicles.

Additional components include $96 million in spare parts for AH-1W SuperCobra helicopters, $91.4 million for maintaining Harpoon anti-ship missiles, and $1.01 billion for tactical mission network software, communications equipment, and related services.

This deal follows a $330 million sale in November and reflects Washington’s ongoing commitment to arming Taiwan’s military under the Trump administration.

Taiwan boosts security spending, China condemns
Taiwan has drastically increased its defense budget, which will rise to NT$949.5 billion (about $31.2 billion) in 2026, 22.9% higher than the year before. A supplemental $40 billion investment running through 2033 will support long-range weapons, unmanned systems, and the “Taiwan Dome” air defense system.

It is worth noting that Beijing has not yet announced specific retaliation, but has a history of punitive responses to US-Taiwan defense deals. Following earlier arms sales, China imposed sanctions on key US military contractors. In December 2024, it blacklisted Boeing Insitu, Oceaneering International, and Raytheon-linked firms, including senior executives.

In January 2025, China expanded its response by placing 10 more US defense firms on its “Unreliable Entities List”, barring trade and investment. It also added 28 entities to its Export Control List, blocking the export of dual-use technologies. These measures, while largely symbolic, send a political warning and may disrupt companies with ties to Chinese markets.