TAIPEI (TVBS News) — A Taiwan defense official went off-script Monday (March 30) to tell visiting U.S. senators that some American weapons the island has paid for remain "undelivered." Deputy Defense Minister Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉) directly relayed concerns an opposition legislator raised hours earlier in parliament. He addressed the bipartisan delegation at the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST, 國家中山科學研究院) in Longtan, Taoyuan.
The unusual diplomatic moment occurred at the country's primary defense research facility and systems integration center, where four senators examined Taiwan's indigenous defense capabilities. Hsu said he watched a YouTube video of the morning's legislative session while traveling to the facility. He then relayed Kuomintang Legislator Lai Shyh-bao's (賴士葆) demand that the defense ministry tell American officials to expedite deliveries.
The bipartisan delegation arrived in the early hours aboard a U.S. government aircraft for a two-day visit. Senate Foreign Relations Committee ranking member Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat from New Hampshire, and Republican Senator John Curtis of Utah led the group. Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina, co-chair of the Senate Taiwan Caucus, and Democratic Senator Jacky Rosen of Nevada also joined the visit.
Earlier that day, Shaheen voiced support for Taiwan's defense efforts during the visit. "We recognize and welcome the steps Taiwan has taken to strengthen its own defense and resilience," she said. "They are critical to sustaining deterrence." Curtis added that Taiwan's seriousness about defense is noticed in Washington and that the special defense budget receives "vast support" in the U.S. capital.
Hsu urged both ruling and opposition parties to support the budget, citing national interest. He called the U.S.-Taiwan partnership "rock-solid" and requested Washington accelerate congressional notification processes for pending arms sales. Some recent Taiwan arms requests have completed notification, but others remain in process, he said. Taiwan aims to reach defense spending of 5 percent of GDP by 2030, according to President Lai.
The delegation viewed Taiwan's domestically developed Tien Kung IV (天弓四型) air defense missile system, also known as "Strong Bow" (強弓). Officials described the medium-to-long-range system as proof of Taiwan's growing defense self-reliance. The institute also displayed attack drones, underwater autonomous vehicles, and multi-purpose warheads. The Ching Feng III and IV warheads appeared publicly for the first time before the media.
The visit preceded President Trump's planned trip to Beijing in May to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping, drawing significant attention to U.S. policy in the region. President Lai thanked the U.S. government for extending the deadline for High Mobility Artillery Rocket System procurement, according to officials. Neither Taiwan nor U.S. officials specified which weapons remain undelivered or the total value of delayed items. ◼ (At time of reporting, US$1 equals approximately NT$31.97)