US delivers F-16V fighter jets to Taiwan as island eyes threat from China

Amid threats from China, Taipai is growing concerned about the Trump administration’s commitment to arming the island.Published On 2 Oct 20262 Oct 2026The United States has delivered two F-16V ⁠Block 70 fighter jets to Taiwan as the island seeks to build its defence capabilities to deter a feared attack by China.The aircraft, built by US defence contractor Lockheed Martin, are part of an $8bn deal for 66 F-16Vs approved during President Donald Trump’s first term. They landed on Friday following months of delay due to repeated requests from Beijing to the US to stop arming Taiwan.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4From ‘cheats’ to ‘great friendship’: How Trump’s rhetoric on China changedlist 2 of 4US, China list goods recommended for tariff cuts following Trump-Xi summitlist 3 of 4China, US to open AI ‘communication channel’ after summitlist 4 of 4Arming an adversary: Why Trump’s offer to sell China weapons belies US policyend of listThe jets, which flew via Hawaii and Guam, touched down at noon (04:00 GMT) local time. They arrived a week after Trump met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington.Taiwan is eyeing a rising military threat from Beijing, ⁠which claims the de...