US President Donald Trump has said he will speak to Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te, a move that breaks with decades of diplomatic precedent and risks inflaming tensions with China. Speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Wednesday, Trump confirmed his intention to hold the conversation, saying, 'I speak to everybody ... We'll work on that, the Taiwan problem.'
Taiwan's foreign ministry responded on Thursday, stating that Lai would be happy to speak to the US leader, according to Reuters. No direct call between US and Taiwanese presidents has taken place since Washington shifted diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979. Trump previously broke that norm as president-elect in 2016, when he spoke to then-Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, prompting a complaint from China.
Trump's comments mark the second time in a week he has expressed an intent to speak to Lai, dispelling speculation that his earlier mention was a slip. A call has not yet been scheduled, according to a person familiar with the matter. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on timing or agenda.
Beijing has never renounced the use of force to take control of Taiwan, which it considers its own territory. China has been angered by US military support for the island, and Trump has approved more weapons sales to Taiwan than any previous US president. However, he has also described future sales as a 'very good negotiating chip'. After meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping last week, Trump said he had not decided whether to proceed with a major $14bn weapons sale.
In a sign of pressure, Beijing is reportedly withholding approval for a visit to China by Pentagon policy undersecretary Elbridge Colby until Trump decides on the weapons sale, according to the Financial Times. Lai, whom Beijing views as a separatist, said on Wednesday he would tell Trump that his government is committed to maintaining the status quo across the Taiwan Strait, and that China is undermining peace with its military buildup.
