A senior Taiwanese security official said China deployed more than 100 vessels across the First Island Chain in the days after President Donald Trump’s Beijing summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, adding pressure to a region already watching questions over a proposed U.S. arms sale to Taipei.
Taiwan National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu said China had moved more than 100 vessels around the First Island Chain in recent days, including navy and coast guard ships.
“Our ISR/intel shows that the PRC has deployed over 100 vessels around the 1st Island Chain over the past few days, so soon after the Beijing summit,” Wu wrote on X.
Our ISR/intel shows that the #PRC has deployed over 100 vessels around the #1stIslandChain over the past few days, so soon after the #Beijing summit. In this part of the world, #China is the one & only PROBLEM wrecking the #StatusQuo & threatening regional peace & stability. pic.twitter.com/3MZmTnfRav
— Joseph Wu (@josephwutw) May 23, 2026
“In this part of the world, China is the one & only PROBLEM wrecking the Status Quo & threatening regional peace & stability,” he added.
Wu posted a graphic showing vessel activity in the South China Sea, East China Sea, and near Taiwan and the Philippines.
Arms Sale Questions
The vessel claim comes as Taiwan waits for clarity on a proposed U.S. arms sale that could be worth up to $14 billion.
Acting U.S. Navy Secretary Hung Cao told a Senate panel that the United States had paused some foreign military sales to make sure the military had enough munitions for Operation Epic Fury, the Trump administration’s name for the Iran operation.
“Right now we’re doing a pause in order to make sure we have the munitions we need for ‘Epic Fury,’” Cao told the U.S. Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, according to the Associated Press. “Then the foreign military sales will continue when the administration deems necessary.”
Taiwanese presidential spokesperson Karen Kuo said Taipei had not received formal notice of any change.
Taiwan’s authorities have seen reports about Cao’s comments, “but currently there is no information regarding any adjustments the U.S. will make to this arms sale,” Kuo said, according to AP.
A source familiar with the matter later pushed back on suggestions that Taiwan arms sales were connected to the Iran war.
“These sales take years to process and are unrelated to Operation Epic Fury,” the source told Reuters. “The United States military has more than enough munitions, ammo, and stockpiles to serve all of President Trump’s strategic goals and beyond.”
Defense Spending Fight
The developments also come amid a defense spending dispute inside Taiwan.
Hundreds of people rallied in central Taipei on Saturday in support of President Lai Ching-te’s push for increased defense spending after Taiwan’s opposition-controlled parliament approved only about two-thirds of the $40 billion request, Reuters reported.
Lai had sought money for U.S. arms and domestically produced equipment, including drones, to strengthen deterrence against China. The opposition approved funding only for U.S. arms, saying the broader proposal lacked clarity and could create corruption risks, according to the report.
Taiwan’s government rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims and says only the island’s people can decide its future.
Summit Fallout
The latest activity follows Trump’s meeting with Xi in Beijing, where Taiwan was expected to be a major issue.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Chinese officials were expected to press Trump on U.S. military support for Taiwan, and Trump said before the summit that Xi wanted him to discuss future arms sales to the island.
The new vessel activity also follows prior Chinese military moves around Taiwan. As previously reported by The Dallas Express, China launched large-scale military drills around Taiwan in 2025, with Chinese naval, air, ground, and rocket forces involved.
Kadena Air Base in Japan, the closest U.S. air base to Taiwan, remains a key American military hub in the First Island Chain, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
China claims Taiwan as part of its territory. Taiwan has rejected Beijing’s claims and continued to seek stronger defenses as Chinese ships and aircraft operate around the island.
