US President Donald Trump on Wednesday reiterated his intention to hold direct talks with Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te on a $14 billion (€12 billion) arms deal – the first direct talks between the two countries’ presidents in four decades.
Asked about the situation, Trump said, “I’ll talk to them. I talk to everybody.”
Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry said Thursday that Lai would be “glad to discuss these matters with President Trump.”
It said Lai was “committed to maintaining a stable status quo in the Taiwan Strait.”
This statement is Trump’s second statement after his state visit to China last week.
The US leader earlier said he had “a wonderful meeting” with Chinese President Xi Jinping, adding, “We will work on the Taiwan problem.”
China objects to direct US-Taiwan communication
The United States officially transferred diplomatic recognition of Taiwan from Taipei (Republic of China, or ROC) to Beijing (People’s Republic of China, or PRC) in 1979 as part of its “One China” policy of strategic ambiguity and has not engaged in public presidential communications with Taiwan’s leaders since that time.
That same year, the US also established the Taiwan Relations Act, committing to provide Taiwan with the means to defend against regional threats by law.
Although the US has continued to engage in backchannel talks with Taiwan, Washington’s public displays of support have been frowned upon by Beijing, which considers the self-ruled democracy part of its territory and has threatened to annex the island republic by force if necessary.
During Trump’s recent state visit, China’s Xi made clear that dealing with the Taiwan issue would be key to maintaining stability in US-China relations, warning that missteps could lead to an “extremely dangerous situation”.
Trump has suggested that US arms sales could be used as a bargaining chip with Beijing on the issue.
On Thursday, China expressed opposition to direct talks between Trump and Lai.
A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson urged Trump to “handle the Taiwan issue with utmost caution and stop sending wrong signals to Taiwan independence separatist forces.”
Taiwan is heavily dependent on US arms to deter China and is eager to double the $11 billion deal approved by the Trump administration in December.
Edited by: Zack Crellin