Taiwan Defence Minister Wellington Koo said bipartisan support in the US Congress would continue backing Taipei’s defence capabilities and help keep arms sales on schedule after Democrats won both houses in the US midterm elections. The United States is Taiwan’s most important international backer and weapons supplier despite having no formal diplomatic ties with Taipei. President Donald Trump approved an $11 billion arms package last December, described as the largest sale ever, while a second package worth about $14 billion has stalled. After meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping in May, Trump called the package a good bargaining chip held in abeyance. China opposes US arms sales to Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its territory. Taiwan’s government rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims, and US law requires Washington to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself. Koo said Taipei would continue communicating with members of Congress and maintain close contact with the US Department of War. The Pentagon had not immediately responded to a request for comment outside office hours in Washington. In September, four of Trump’s fellow Republicans urged his administration to release more than $15 billion in stalled national security assistance for Taiwan before Xi’s visit to the US capital.