As China tensions loom, US temporarily pauses Taiwan weapons sales due to Iran war, acting Navy secretary says

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The United States has temporarily paused weapons sales to Taiwan in order to ensure readiness for a potential escalation in Iran, acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao testified to the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee on Tuesday.

"I have not heard, I have not spoken to the Taiwanese. However, we have done some military, foreign military sales to them. And it's just, right now we're doing a pause in order to make sure we have the munitions we need for Epic Fury, which we have plenty, but we're just making sure we have everything," Cao testified.

When asked by Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., if sales would be resumed at any point, Cao replied, "that would be up to the secretary of war and the secretary of state, sir."

"Well, that's really distressing," McConnell responded.

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Cao did also add that "the foreign military sales will continue when the administration deems necessary."

His testimony came a week after President Donald Trump's state visit to China, where Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed the importance of Taiwan as a red-line issue.

"President Xi stressed to President Trump that the Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-U.S. relations. If it is handled properly, the bilateral relationship will enjoy overall stability. Otherwise, the two countries will have clashes and even conflicts, putting the entire relationship in great jeopardy," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said in a statement after Trump and Xi's bilateral meeting.

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Congress pre-approved a $14 billion weapons package for Taiwan in January, though Trump has yet to formally notify the package, a key step in approving the delivery to Taiwan. Though a bipartisan group of lawmakers urged him to do so before his China visit, Trump withheld his stamp of approval, leaving the armament deal in limbo.

During an interview with Fox News' Bret Baier from China, Trump urged both Taiwan and China to "cool down" and remained ambivalent on the likelihood he'd sign off on the weapons bundle.

"I may do it. I may not do it," he told Baier. "We’re not looking to have wars. If you kept it the way it is, I think China is [going to] be OK with that. But we're not looking to have somebody say, ‘Let's go independent because the United States is backing us.’"

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Beijing has long viewed Taiwan as a "breakaway province" and lays claim to the island as belonging to the People's Republic of China (PRC). The U.S., in concert with President Ronald Reagan's "six assurances" to Taiwan, has historically been the island nation's chief weapons supplier, a trend that many Washington lawmakers wish to see continued.

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., asserted as much during Tuesday's subcommittee hearing, insisting that weaponizing Taiwan provides the U.S. strategic leverage in ongoing security competition with China.

"I'm sorry, what more do we have to know?" he asked Adm. Daryl Caudle, the Navy's chief of operations.

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"President Xi has telegraphed his anxiety, his insecurity now that he knows that America's re-learned how to fight. We want leverage. We want stability, not a hot war. We want leverage. What's his insecurity? Taiwan. Why don't we just go ahead and sell the weapons to Taiwan that Taiwan wants? The president can call President Xi and say, hey, President Xi, don't take it personally. Don't get excited, don't get your bows in an uproar. But I'm selling these weapons. Why wouldn't we do that?"

"We definitely want Taiwan to be as strong as they can be," Caudle replied.

"They'd be stronger with those weapons are, wouldn't they?" Kennedy asked.

"Yes, sir," Caudle replied.

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Taiwan, meanwhile, said they haven't received any notification from the U.S. about the pause.

"Currently there is no information regarding any adjustments the U.S. will make to this arms sale," Taiwanese presidential spokesperson Karen Kuo said Friday, according to The Associated Press.

Fox News Digital contacted the Department of War, the State Department, the U.S. Navy and a representative for the Taiwanese government for comment.