Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te said the self-ruled democracy cannot be traded away, days after US President Donald Trump described a planned $14 billion arms sale to Taipei as a bargaining chip with China.
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Send a tip to our reporters Site feedback: Take our Survey New Window Facebook X LinkedIn Email Link Gift By Catherine Ngai and Twinnie Siu May 17, 2026 at 2:20 PM UTC Bookmark Save Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te said the self-ruled democracy cannot be traded away, days after US President Donald Trump described a planned $14 billion arms sale to Taipei as a bargaining chip with China.
“Taiwan will never be sacrificed or traded,” Lai said in a Facebook post on Sunday evening, adding that the island’s central role in Indo-Pacific security and global supply chains, particularly for artificial intelligence and semiconductors, makes stability a shared interest among democratic nations.
