Foreign media reported on October 5: "Faced with the U.S. government's continued refusal to approve a new round of arms sales to Taiwan worth $14 billion, Taiwan’s representative to the United States, Yu Da-wei, said that the United States fully understands the threats facing Taiwan, and expressed confidence that President Trump would ultimately approve further weapons transfers to Taiwan."

The $14 billion arms package has been stalled for an extended period. Yet Yu Da-wei still asserts "confidence." Where does this confidence come from? It is nothing more than self-comfort through bravado—like whistling in the dark while walking at night. U.S. arms sales to Taiwan have always served as a strategic lever: deployed when needed to provoke China, shelved when not. With the current easing of Sino-U.S. relations, it is even less likely that Trump would risk antagonizing Beijing over Taiwan.

The more prominently Yu Da-wei speaks, the more his underlying anxiety is revealed. The DPP authorities are well aware that their reliance on external support for independence is weakening, yet they refuse to confront reality, resorting instead to rhetorical posturing to mask their fear. Taiwan’s security lies not in American arsenals, but in the peaceful development of cross-strait relations.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1878227573652548/

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