A Taiwanese reserve force official criticized the US as overbearing and said Taiwan does not need to buy some weapons from Washington, prompting the military to distance itself — an awkward moment for Taipei's defense ties with the US.

• The comments came at Taiwan's Armed Forces Day awards ceremony, from a senior reserve command adviser who had just been honored as a model reserve officer.
• He called the US "high-handed" and argued Taiwan could skip American purchases for certain weapons.
• Taiwan's reserve command quickly said the remarks were personal opinion and did not represent the military's position.
• The command stressed that Taiwan has repeatedly thanked the US for supplying defensive weapons under the Taiwan Relations Act and the Six Assurances.

Outlook: Expect Taipei to keep publicly reaffirming its US arms relationship, even as domestic frustration over the cost and terms of American weapons purchases keeps surfacing.