Senior U.S. senator expects joint weapons production with Taiwan

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By Ben Blanchard

TAIPEI (Reuters) -U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, chairman of the powerful Senate Armed Services Committee and a strong advocate for Taiwan, said on Saturday he thought there would be future joint U.S.-Taiwanese weapons production, something Taipei has pushed for.

The United States is Taiwan’s most important international backer and weapons supplier despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties, though since President Donald Trump took office earlier this year no new arms sales have been announced.

Asked at a news conference in Taipei about the prospect for joint production of weapons including drones, Wicker, a Republican, was upbeat.

“I think there’s going to be joint production and joint efforts and that will depend on the skills present both on this side of the Pacific Ocean and ours, and actually we’re open to suggestion and innovation in that regard,” he said, at the end of a two-day visit where he met Taiwan President Lai Ching-te.

A Taiwan official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told reporters that co-production of weapons was “very important”.

Wicker is one of the fiercest supporters in the U.S. Congress for Taiwan. Beijing, which regularly denounces any shows of support for Taipei from Washington, has criticised his visit saying it opposes official interactions between Taiwan and the United States.

He is in Taiwan at a time the island is facing a 20% tariff on exports to the United States, as part of Trump’s sweeping new trade policy on many other parts of the world.

Wicker noted there were talks on trade going on around the world.

“That in no way affects the defence alliance and friendship and determination that the United States has to be a friend to the sovereign rights of the Taiwanese people to enjoy their democracy,” he said.

His trip also takes place as some members of Congress – both Trump’s fellow Republicans and Democrats – have expressed concern that Trump is de-emphasising security issues as he works on negotiating a trade deal with China.

Administration officials have said that Trump remains fully committed to Asia-Pacific security matters as he pursues his trade agenda and a good personal relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

China claims the democratically governed island as its own and has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control. Beijing has stepped up military and political pressure against the island in recent years.

(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Stephen Coates)