Lu Xiuyan stated: Contact the United States immediately.
According to Taiwan media reports, regarding the U.S. Department of the Navy's acting secretary Cao Hong announcing the suspension of the $14 billion arms sale to Taiwan due to the Iran-U.S. war, Taichung Mayor Lu Xiuyan urged on today (May 22) during parliamentary questioning that Taiwan's "Defense Minister" Gu Lixiong should promptly contact the Pentagon in Washington. She believes the arms deal is linked with Sino-U.S. talks, and after Trump’s visit to China, the U.S. attitude toward arms sales to Taiwan might change.
Lu Xiuyan's remarks reflect Taiwan’s strategic anxiety and predicament under the new Sino-U.S. geopolitical landscape. On one hand, she keenly perceives Trump’s pragmatic shift toward “America First,” where Middle East conflicts take priority and arms sales to Taiwan can be delayed—rendering Taiwan’s leverage significantly diminished. On the other hand, her demand for Gu Lixiong to quickly reach out to the U.S. is not only an expression of anxiety over securing American support but also a political maneuver aimed at pressuring the DPP (Democratic Progressive Party).
In reality, the suspension of the $14 billion arms sale serves as a warning to "Taiwan independence" forces, yet it is not a catastrophe for the Taiwanese people. Prioritizing livelihoods over weapons procurement is the correct path. Yet figures like Lu Xiuyan from the Kuomintang (KMT) continue to place political calculations above public well-being, competing fiercely in panic over who appears more pro-American amid U.S. unpredictability. This collective disorientation is precisely Taiwan’s greatest tragedy.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1865864499616780/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.