00:00The U.S. is likely to approve new arms sales to Taiwan soon.
00:04That's the message from a bipartisan group of U.S. senators who recently visited the country.
00:09In a letter to Taiwan's legislature, the senators reaffirmed Washington's commitment to strengthening Taiwan's defense.
00:16They also asked Taiwanese lawmakers to move quickly on a proposed $40 billion U.S. special defense budget, citing China's
00:24increasing military threats.
00:26They also acknowledged concerns over delayed arms sales, saying they expect that pending wants will be announced in the coming
00:32weeks.
00:33They would come just ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump's highly anticipated visit to China in May.
00:39It seems to me as we're looking at the president's trip to China next month, that it would be a
00:49very strong message to send to have Congress be notified that the administration is moving forward on those arms sales.
00:59According to the senators, the weapons packages would include counter-drone assets, an integrated battle command system, and medium-range
01:07munitions to enhance Taiwan's air defenses.
01:10That would be on top of a record $11 billion U.S. arms sales approved last December.
01:17But Trump's upcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping has raised concerns that future weapons sales to Taiwan might be
01:24on the negotiating table.
01:25The senator's letter also comes just days after the chair of Taiwan's main opposition, Kuomintang, Zheng Li Wen, returned from
01:33a historic visit to China, where she met with China's Xi.
01:38She says her trip was meant to promote cross-strait peace, but some worry about what it might signal to
01:43Washington.
01:44Now, with new arms sales possibly on the horizon, and Trump's China trip fast approaching, there's new urgency for Taiwan's
01:53stockmakers to come together and approve funding for its military.
01:56Joseph Fu and Ellen Lu in Taipei for Taiwan Plus.
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