US President Donald Trump on Wednesday raised the prospect of speaking to Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te, in what would be an unprecedented move and a major departure from US diplomatic norms.
US and Taiwanese presidents have not spoken directly since 1979, when Washington shifted diplomatic recognition to Beijing from Taipei.
“I’ll speak to him,” Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland before boarding Air Force One when asked whether he would call Lai before making a decision on whether he will sign off on a major Congress-approved arms sale to the island.
“I speak to everybody. We have that situation very well in hand,” he said, before adding, “we’ll work on that Taiwan problem.”
It is not clear whether the Trump administration has moved forward with any plans for a call.
China’s Communist Party has never controlled Taiwan but views the island is an integral part of its territory. Absorbing it into China, by force if necessary, is central to Beijing’s vision for its “national rejuvenation” by 2049.
Under the “One China” policy, the US acknowledges China’s position that Taiwan is part of China but has never officially recognized the Communist Party’s claim to the island.
The US is also bound by law to provide Taiwan with weapons for its defense. And a 1982 US assurance to Taiwan says the US does not have a policy of consulting with Beijing on arms sales.
Any call between Trump and Taiwan’s leader would likely anger China.
As President-elect in 2016, Trump had a phone call with then Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, which overturned decades of diplomatic protocol. China’s foreign ministry lodged a complaint and urged the US to adhere to the ‘one China’ policy.
Trump’s comments on potentially speaking to Taiwan’s Lai came days after he returned from his a closely watched visit to Beijing. During that trip, China’s leader Xi Jinping warned Trump directly that Taiwan could become a “very dangerous situation” if mishandled.
China’s Defense Ministry spokesperson Jiang Bin on Wednesday accused Lai of being “indulged in the illusion of seeking ‘Taiwan independence’ through reliance on external forces” and “attempting to change the fundamental status quo that Taiwan belongs to China.”
Lai has long maintained that Taiwan is a de facto sovereign nation that has no need to formally declare independence.
How the US handles its unofficial relationship with Taiwan has long been a sticking point for Beijing, which is now watching closely whether Trump will advance a $14 billion arms deal with the island. Congress approved the deal back in January.
Following his visit to China last week, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that he and Chinese leader Xi Jinping discussed arms sales to Taiwan “in great detail” and that he would make a decision about arms sales “over the next early short period of time.”
A senior US official last week noted the US administration’s record of arms sales to Taiwan, which included more than $11 billion in sales last December – one of the largest in history – as a sign of the US commitment to the self-governing island.
On Wednesday, Trump described his meeting with Xi in Beijing as “amazing,” before describing Taiwan as a “problem.”
Taiwan President Lai, who marked two years in office on Wednesday, said communication channels between Taipei and Washington “were always open” and if given the opportunity to speak directly to Trump, he would say that his administration is maintaining the status quo in the Taiwan Strait.
“It is China that acts as a disruptor of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait,” Lai said, adding that “military procurement from the US” was necessary to safeguard Taiwan.
“We hope these military efforts can continue,” Lai added.
Taiwan has been ramping up military purchases in recent years as it comes under increasing pressure from Beijing, with Chinese aircraft and ships present almost daily around Taiwan as well as regular large-scale exercises in and over the surrounding waters.