Dear Focus Reader,

On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a proposed $11 billion package of arms sales to Taiwan. The package, which is still subject to congressional approval, includes a broad range of systems for Taiwan's armed forces across air, land, and sea. Delivery of much of the equipment is expected to take several years.

Chinese authorities condemned the deal, with a Foreign Ministry spokesperson saying it "severely undermines peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait" and demanding an end to such transactions, while the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office warned that supporting Taiwan independence through weapons would "only bring fire upon itself."

The announcement also follows the recent release of the United States' new National Security Strategy, which had a notable decrease in rhetoric on China as a threat, but elevated Taiwan, mentioning the island multiple times and for the first time making deterring a conflict over Taiwan "a priority."

Meanwhile, this week Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited the Middle East, traveling to the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan. He met with senior officials, foreign ministers, and the Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council in Riyadh to strengthen political and economic ties, with a focus on investment, energy, infrastructure, and emerging technologies. He also reaffirmed coordination on Gaza, Palestine, and broader regional stability, emphasized respect for regional countries' strategic autonomy, and reiterated support for the one-China principle.

Learn more on international relations by catching up on our latest Focus content, including articles on trade, national security, and more.

We'll be on a short holiday break, and the next edition of Focus will return on Friday, January 9th. Wishing you a happy holiday season and a wonderful start to the new year!