Trump has suggested he may speak with Taiwan’s President William Lai Ching-te, which would be the first direct contact between leaders since the US switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979. The US remains committed under the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act to supporting the defense of Taiwan’s self-governing democracy. Taiwan’s president said he would be happy to talk and emphasized maintaining a stable status quo, while blaming China for disrupting peace and stability. China opposes official US-Taiwan exchanges and US arms sales, and analysts expect Beijing to react negatively if Trump meets or speaks with Taiwan’s president. Past events, including Nancy Pelosi’s 2022 visit and Trump’s 2016 phone call, show China has responded with heightened military pressure and worsened relations.
"Trump has twice suggested, since his summit with China's President Xi Jinping in Beijing last week, that he may speak with Taiwan's President William Lai Ching-te. That would mark the first direct contact between leaders of the governments since the US switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979. It remains committed, however, under the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act to supporting the defence of the self-governing democracy."
"In a foreign affairs ministry statement on Wednesday, Taiwan's President responded to Trump's comments, saying he would be happy to talk to him. Taiwan was committed to maintaining a stable status quo in the Taiwan Strait, he added, but China is the disruptor of peace and stability. The statement comes as the White House considers a $14bn arms deal with Taiwan."
"China's foreign ministry responded saying it firmly opposes official exchanges between the US and Taiwan, as well as US arms sales to the island. Trump's comments suggest he may be willing to break with decades of diplomatic protocol, which will likely jar with Beijing, say analysts. How China might respond? Based on past events, Beijing will not be happy if Trump does meet with or talk to Taiwan's president."
"Based on past events, Beijing will not be happy if Trump does meet with or talk to Taiwan's president. Al Jazeera's Katrina Yu, reporting from Beijing, said that when the former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in 2022, her two-day visit sparked heightened tensions between the two countries. Shortly afterwards, China ramped up large-scale military drills around Taiwan and, Yu said, China-US relations reached rock bottom, indicating that China is serious about not wanting to see any sort of communication between Washington and Taipei."
#us-taiwan-relations #china-taiwan-tensions #diplomatic-recognition #arms-sales #taiwan-strait-stability
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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