Taiwan, on Thursday, said President Lai Ching-te would be happy to talk to US President Donald Trump. Before Taiwan’s statement, the US had also shown interest in engaging with Taiwan. On Wednesday, Trump said he would speak with Lai. However, there is no clear update on when the conversation will take place, as it could strain Washington’s relations with Beijing.
Last week, during Trump’s visit to China for bilateral talks, Chinese President Xi Jinping warned the US that mishandling the Taiwan issue could escalate tensions between the two countries.
There has not been a direct conversation between the US and Taiwan since Washington shifted its diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979. China claims Taiwan as its own territory and has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control.
When Will US-Taiwan Talks Happen?
Taiwan’s foreign ministry stated on Wednesday that if President Lai gets an opportunity to speak with the US President, he would say that China is undermining peace and that Taiwan will continue to maintain the status quo across the Taiwan Strait.
The ministry said, “In addition to being committed to maintaining the stable status quo in the Taiwan Strait, President Lai is also happy to discuss these matters with President Trump.”
The secretary-general of Taiwan’s National Security Council, Joseph Wu, said that the government must “keep a low profile.” He added that the news would be made public if there is any progress.
“If these communications and dialogues can continue to be elevated to higher levels, and if we can maintain a dialogue that contributes to regional peace and stability, this would be of great significance not only to Taiwan but also to democratic nations and the Indo-Pacific region as a whole,” he added.
Wu also referred to Trump’s use of the phrase “Taiwan problem” and said Taiwan is not the one creating problems. Referring to the region stretching from Japan through Taiwan to the Philippines, he said, “China is creating all kinds of problems along the first island chain.”
“China is the problem,” he added.
In late 2016, Trump, as president-elect, broke decades of US diplomatic precedent by speaking directly over the telephone with Taiwan’s then-President Tsai Ing-wen.
China has repeatedly refused to engage with Taiwan, calling the Taiwanese President a “separatist.”
Taiwan’s Future Should Not Be Decided by Foreign Forces
Taiwanese President William Lai Ching-te on Wednesday said Taiwan’s future should not be decided by “foreign forces.” Instead, he said, the decision belongs to its 23 million citizens.
Speaking on the second anniversary of his inauguration, Lai said his goal is to maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, the 180-km-wide waterway separating Taiwan and China. He also said he would prevent external forces from altering the island’s political status quo.
The President also expressed willingness to continue orderly dialogue with Beijing, which was suspended in 2016. However, he said the talks must be based on “equality and dignity.”
China’s Taiwan Affairs Office accused Lai of inciting “cross-strait confrontation” by supporting “Taiwan independence” in remarks made during his anniversary speech.
Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the office, said Lai “peddles separatist fallacies” and uses a “democracy versus authoritarianism” narrative to describe Taiwan-China relations. Zhu also accused Lai of ignoring the well-being of the Taiwanese people by seeking independence through foreign support and military means.
