By Caribbean News Global 
USA / TAIWAN – The Formosan Association for Public Affairs (FAPA) strongly emphasised that US arms sales to Taiwan should never be tied to negotiations with Beijing.
In a May 14 statement, FAPA National president Dr Su-Mei Kao said such arms sales should solely reflect Taiwan’s self-defense needs and the long-standing US commitments under the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) and the Six Assurances to Taiwan.
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“ Taiwan’s defense requirements “must never be treated as a bargaining chip” in broader US-China negotiations. Under the Six Assurances, the US is pledged not to consult Beijing prior to arms sales to Taiwan. First articulated under the Reagan administration in 1982, the Six Assurances have remained a cornerstone of US policy for over four decades, alongside the TRA, ensuring that Taiwan’s security remains independent of Beijing’s influence or pressure,” said Dr Su-Kao.
Strong Congressional support for arms sales to Taiwan
Bipartisan lawmakers in both chambers have actively pressed the administration to move forward with the stalled release of the $14 billion arms package for Taiwan.
In a bipartisan letter sent on May 8 ahead of the Trump-Xi summit in Beijing, US senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and their colleagues urged President Trump to “formally notify the $14 billion in US arms sales to Taiwan that Congress pre-approved” and stressed that “American support for Taiwan is not up for negotiation.”
This momentum was further reinforced by Representative Jill Tokuda’s (D-HI) May 12 introduction of H.Res.1278 alongside a bipartisan coalition of 22 original cosponsors. The resolution reaffirms the TRA and the Six Assurances as cornerstones of US policy regarding Taiwan, while reiterating unwavering support for Taiwan’s self-defense and resolute opposition to any unilateral efforts to determine the future of Taiwan by other than peaceful means.
FAPA’s call to action – ‘ approve the pending $14 billion arms package’
“Those commitments must now be backed by concrete action,” FAPA National president Dr Kao emphasised. FAPA is calling on the Trump administration to approve the pending $14 billion arms package to bolster Taiwan’s defense capabilities and strengthen deterrence against Beijing’s growing aggression.
FAPA also urges Congress to swiftly pass the Six Assurances to Taiwan Act (H.R.3452 / S.3208) and the PORCUPINE Act (H.R.7146 / S.1744) to institutionalise US commitments to Taiwan and ensure they remain clear, strong, and credible, regardless of shifting diplomatic dynamics.
Global cooperation and training framework
Taiwan’s Global Cooperation and Training Framework, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, (MOFA) on May 13, in Belize City, organised by Taiwan’s embassy in Belize in collaboration with the US embassy and the Belizean government, brought together 150 officials and experts from the three countries, as well as business representatives from Belize, to discuss how to respond to cybersecurity in the age of AI and cybersecurity risks and how AI tools can be used to build a secure digital ecosystem.
The opening ceremony was jointly hosted by Taiwanese ambassador Amino C. Y. Chi; Katharine Beamer, chargé d’affaires of the US Embassy in Belize; and Osmond Martinez, minister of state, Belizean ministry of economic transformation.
Chi said that with the rapid development of AI, cyberattacks have become increasingly complex, adding that Taiwan will continue to work with the US, Belize, and other like-minded partners to forge a secure, open and resilient digital environment.
Raylin Tso, professor in the Department of Computer Science at National Chengchi University in Taipei City, and Chen Chung-kuan, security research director at New Taipei City-headquartered CyCraft Technology, shared Taiwan’s practical and forward-looking AI cybersecurity practices to deepen digital security partnership among participants.
Cybersecurity-themed activities have been held in Guatemala and Belize this year, demonstrating Taiwan’s continued commitment to assisting Central and South American partners in advancing information security and digital governance, reports TaiwanToday.
The Global Cooperation and Training Framework (GCTF), since 2015, has become a vital platform for like-minded countries to facilitate cooperation and capacity building.
Porcupine strategy
On May 13, 2026, the House Foreign Affairs Committee advanced the PORCUPINE Act (H.R.7146) through a unanimous 45-0 vote, signalling robust bipartisan support to expedite US weapons deliveries to Taiwan.
This critical legislation streamlines US arms sales to Taiwan by reducing the congressional notification and review periods to as short as 15 days and effectively granting Taiwan “NATO Plus” treatment under the Arms Export Control Act (AECA), thereby accelerating the delivery of vital defense transfers.
Significantly, the bill amends the AECA to place Taiwan on par with the closest US security allies, such as Israel, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand, for specified arms-transfer procedures. Additionally, it seeks to establish an expedited decision-making process for third-party transfers of US-origin defense articles and services from NATO and other NATO-Plus allies to Taiwan.
By cutting through bureaucratic red tape and directly addressing Taiwan’s critical arms sales backlog, the bill strengthens Taiwan’s asymmetric “porcupine strategy” to bolster its self-defense and maintain robust cross-Strait deterrence.