Taiwan’s President William Lai Ching-te has declared his readiness to engage in a phone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump, a move that could shatter a long-standing diplomatic convention lasting over four decades and further strain relations with China.
The announcement came after Trump told reporters he would speak with Lai, as the White House considers a massive arms sale package to the island. This marks the second time since last week’s summit in Beijing that Trump has stated his intention to call Taiwan’s leader.
Since 1979, when Washington shifted diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing, no U.S. or Taiwan president has held a direct phone call. China considers Taiwan part of its territory and has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control.
On Thursday, President Lai affirmed that Taiwan is “committed to maintaining a stable status quo in the Taiwan Strait” and that “China is the party destabilizing peace and stability.” A statement from Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Lai “would be happy to discuss these issues with President Trump.”
For his part, Trump said: “I’ll talk to him. I talk to everybody.” He also recounted a positive meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping during his state visit to Beijing last week. “We will resolve the Taiwan issue,” Trump declared.
Following the Beijing visit, Trump suggested that arms sales to Taiwan could serve as a bargaining chip with China, as the U.S. weighs approval of a new weapons package for the island, estimated at around $14 billion.
Under the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979, the U.S. is obligated to provide Taiwan with means for self-defense, despite the lack of formal diplomatic relations.
Lai’s administration has repeatedly asserted that U.S. policy toward Taiwan remains unchanged and that Trump made no commitments to China regarding arms sales to the island.
“With U.S. policy toward Taiwan remaining unchanged, I think we remain cautiously optimistic about weapons procurement,” Taiwan’s Defense Minister Wellington Koo remarked.
Taiwan relies heavily on U.S. support to deter the risk of attack from China. The island faces pressure to boost spending through investment in U.S. companies.
In 2016, shortly after his first election victory, then-President-elect Trump accepted a call from Taiwan’s then-President Tsai Ing-wen, infuriating Beijing and stunning diplomats, world leaders, and China experts.
