Taiwan Says Lai Is Ready for Trump Call as $14 Billion Arms Sale Wavers
Updated
Updated · NBC News · May 21
Taiwan Says Lai Is Ready for Trump Call as $14 Billion Arms Sale Wavers
12 articles · Updated · NBC News · May 21
Taiwan’s foreign ministry said President Lai Ching-te would be happy to speak with Donald Trump after Trump twice said in the past week that he wanted a call.
No U.S. president has spoken directly with a Taiwanese president since 1979, so any Trump-Lai conversation would break long-standing protocol and likely anger Beijing.
The opening comes after Trump’s China visit, where Xi Jinping warned Taiwan tensions could trigger “clashes and even conflicts,” and after Trump called a pending $14 billion arms sale to Taiwan a negotiating chip.
Lai, marking the second anniversary of his inauguration, said Taiwan’s future must be decided by its 23 million people and argued U.S. arms sales remain necessary for stability.
China reiterated on Thursday that it opposes any official U.S.-Taiwan exchanges, while Taiwan reported 7 Chinese warplanes, 7 naval vessels and 1 official ship operating nearby in the previous 24 hours.
Could direct U.S.-Taiwan communication reduce miscalculation with China, or does it make a regional conflict more likely?
With a potential presidential call, is the era of 'strategic ambiguity' over Taiwan ending, and what comes next?
As Taiwan becomes a 'negotiating chip,' how will this reshape the global tech supply chain and U.S. economic security?
The $14 billion U.S. arms sale to Taiwan is currently on hold, as President Trump uses it as a bargaining chip in U.S.-China relations. This move follows warnings from Chinese President Xi Jinping and has led China to block a Pentagon visit, highlighting rising tensions. By delaying the sale, Trump may have unintentionally helped China undermine Taiwan’s government. The situation reflects the complex dynamics of the U.S. 'One China' policy, China’s determination to reunify Taiwan by force if needed, and Washington’s ongoing unofficial support for Taiwan’s defense, all contributing to uncertainty and regional instability.