Taiwan in May 2026: the most important developments in security
Taiwan's security in May 2026 was shaped by questions over US arms sales and by Chinese maritime activity around the island. On 22 May Taiwan said it had received no notification from Washington of any pause to a planned 12 billion euro arms sale. Earlier in the month, a US official had publicly expressed disappointment over Taiwan's smaller defense budget and delays in defense funding. Taipei asked the Trump administration on 16 May to speed up arms deliveries, calling the sales a cornerstone of regional peace and stability, after a summit between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. That summit raised concerns in Taipei about possible delays or shifts in US policy.
China's activity near Taiwan grew during the month. China deployed more than 100 ships near Taiwan's waters around 23 May. On 24 May, Taiwan reported a standoff between one of its coast guard vessels and a Chinese coast guard ship near the Pratas Islands. Earlier, Taiwan said it had driven away a Chinese research ship operating near its waters. Taiwan also announced plans on 11 May to deploy Himars rocket systems to islands facing China.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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