Trump Plans Talks With Taiwan’s President As China, Russia Condemn US Policy

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent

BEIJING/WASHINGTON (Worthy News) – In an unprecedented move for an American leader, U.S. President Donald J. Trump said Wednesday he plans to speak with Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te, after China’s and Russia’s leaders condemned Washington’s “irresponsible” foreign policy.

“I’ll speak to him,” the U.S. president told reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland before boarding Air Force One when asked about Lai. “I speak to everybody … We’ll work on that, the Taiwan problem.”

Responding to Trump’s comments on Thursday morning, Taiwan’s foreign ministry said Lai would be happy to speak with the U.S. leader.

U.S. and Taiwanese presidents have not spoken directly since Washington shifted diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979. However, as president-elect in late 2016, Trump broke decades of diplomatic precedent by speaking with then-Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen.

CHINA ANGERED

The political fallout from that earlier call prompted formal complaints from Beijing, which regards the democratically governed island as Chinese territory and has never ruled out the use of force to bring it under its control.

Trump’s latest remarks came as Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a joint condemnation of what they described as “irresponsible” U.S. foreign policy and warned of a global drift toward “the law of the jungle” following their summit in Beijing.

The two leaders criticized Washington over missile defense plans, Taiwan policy, and what they called efforts undermining global stability. They also pledged deeper cooperation in areas ranging from technology and trade to artificial intelligence.

Analysts say any direct conversation between Trump and Lai would likely anger Beijing further, especially as tensions remain high over Taiwan and U.S. arms sales to the island. Trump recently said he had not yet decided whether to approve a weapons package reportedly worth up to $14 billion for Taiwan.

MIXED SIGNALS

Taiwan welcomed the prospect of talks with Trump, although some officials reportedly expressed concern over his reference to the “Taiwan problem,” wording often associated with Beijing’s position.

Lai said his government remained committed to maintaining peace across the Taiwan Strait while accusing China of undermining regional stability through its military buildup in the Indo-Pacific region.

“No country has the right to annex Taiwan,” Lai said. “The people of Taiwan pursue a democratic and free way of life.”

Under U.S. law, Washington is required to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself. The island of 23 million people is also a major trading partner of the United States and a key global supplier of advanced semiconductors vital to the world economy.

Latest Worthy News