"The United States' continued arms sales to Taiwan and deepening of Taiwan-US security cooperation are not only necessary but also key elements in maintaining regional peace and stability," Lai said in a statement on Facebook.

Taiwan depends heavily on US security backing to deter China from carrying out its threat to annex the island by force.

In his Facebook post, Lai insisted that Taiwan was at the "core" of global interests and "peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait will never be sacrificed or traded away".

Lai's comments came days after US President Donald Trump said further arms sales to Taiwan "depends on China" and was a "very good negotiating chip for us".