President Donald Trump announced Wednesday his plans to engage in dialogue with Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te, marking a potentially significant shift in diplomatic protocol.
“I’ll speak to him,” Trump informed reporters. “I speak to everybody. … We’ll work on that, the Taiwan problem.”
The president’s willingness to engage in this conversation follows his recent visit to China last week, which Trump described as “amazing” during Wednesday’s remarks.
Such direct communication between American and Taiwanese leaders would represent a major diplomatic milestone, as no direct conversations have taken place since the United States transferred its diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979.
This potential dialogue could provoke anger from China, which considers the democratically-run island part of its territory.
Following his recent meeting with China’s President Xi Jinping, Trump indicated he remains undecided about moving forward with a substantial weapons package valued at up to $14 billion for Taiwan.
American law mandates that Washington supply Taiwan with defensive capabilities, and lawmakers from both major political parties have pressed the Trump administration to maintain weapons transfers.
