U.S. President Donald Trump, right, shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, on May 14. [UPI/YONHAP]
U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent suggestion that a $14 billion arms package for Taiwan could be used as leverage in negotiations with China has raised concerns in South Korea that even longstanding U.S. security commitments could become bargaining chips.
Trump cast uncertainty over defense aid to Taiwan in a Fox News interview that aired right after the U.S. president wrapped up a high-stakes visit to China on Friday.
“I'm holding that in abeyance, and it depends on China,” Trump said of the package. “It's a very good negotiating chip for us, frankly. It's a lot of weapons.”
Delivery of the arms to Taiwan has been stalled for months despite congressional approval in January.
Some observers had expected Washington to move quickly on the sale following the summit.
Trump said he had discussed Taiwan arms sales with Xi “in great detail” in remarks to reporters aboard Air Force One as he flew back to the United States on Thursday.
Trump’s comments have fueled controversy because they appear to contradict the so-called Six Assurances Washington made to Taipei in 1982, which included a pledge by then-U.S. President Ronald Reagan not to consult Beijing in advance on Taiwan arms sales.
Asked whether that assurance still applied, Trump appeared to downplay its relevance. “Well, I think the 1980s is a long way,” he quipped.
Critics say the remarks could also undermine the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, which commits the United States to providing Taiwan with defensive weapons.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during an interview that was released by Fox News on May 15. [SCREEN CAPTURE]
His comments have revived anxiety in South Korea that U.S. security commitments could become contingent on Washington’s strategic calculations or financial interests.
Some experts warn that U.S. troops stationed on the peninsula could also become bargaining chips in future negotiations involving China or North Korea.
“The very fact that longstanding principles can be casually overturned risks destabilizing East Asian security and could even lead Kim Jong-un to miscalculate,” said Kang Jun-young, a professor of international affairs at Hankook University of Foreign Studies.
Others, however, cautioned against drawing direct comparisons between Taiwan and the Korean Peninsula.
“In theory, U.S. Forces Korea could also become a subject of negotiation,” said Park In-hwi, a professor of international studies at Ewha Womans University. “But unlike Taiwan, where U.S. policy is premised on the ‘One China’ principle, the Korean Peninsula is anchored by the firm principle of the South Korea-U.S. alliance, making it difficult to compare the two on the same level.”
Some analysts argue that Trump’s comments also reflect shifting dynamics between Washington and Beijing following the summit.
U.S. President Donald Trump disembarks from Air Force One at Beijing International Airport on May 13. [UPI/YONHAP]
“Trump was under pressure from the Iran war when he met Xi, which weakened his negotiating position,” Park said. “By stepping back somewhat from the U.S. commitment to protecting Taiwan, he appeared to signal a more even footing in U.S.-China relations.”
Park pointed to the two sides’ reported agreement to pursue a “constructive and strategically stable relationship” as evidence of a recalibrated dynamic, even as tensions persist beneath the surface.
While Washington and Beijing reached a temporary truce over tariffs, continued U.S. semiconductor controls and China’s restrictions on rare earth exports suggest that the broader trend toward the weaponization of economic policy remains intact.
Analysts say South Korea will need stronger leverage of its own to avoid being squeezed between the two powers.
“South Korea must negotiate from a position of strength using technologies only it can provide, such as high bandwidth memory semiconductors,” Kang said. “It must also prevent North Korean miscalculation through its own deterrence capabilities, including the three-axis defense system.”
Recent diplomatic outreach by President Lee Jae Myung has also reflected a more pragmatic balancing approach, according to officials.
Ahead of the Trump-Xi summit, Lee held back-to-back meetings on May 13 with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, both of whom visited Seoul to coordinate the summit agenda.
“What could have turned into a situation where South Korea was bypassed as merely a stopover for major powers ahead of the U.S.-China summit was instead transformed into a diplomatic hub through a pragmatic approach of meeting both sides,” according to a government official who spoke on condition of anonymity to the JoongAng Ilbo.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
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