Presidential Office Secretary-General Pan Men-an (潘孟安) today said he is “optimistic” about Washington’s US$14 billion weapons package for Taiwan and that the government has not yet received any notification of a potential call between President William Lai (賴清德) and US President Donald Trump.
En route to Washington on Friday after a state visit to China, Trump said he had not yet decided whether to move forward with the arms package.
He said he and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) had “talked a lot about Taiwan” and confirmed that Xi had brought up the weapons sale.
Photo Tian Yu-hua, Taipei Times
The government remains optimistic about the arms sale, as defending the first island chain and strengthening regional self-defense capabilities and deterrence is in the best interests of the US, Pan said.
Trump yesterday told reporters that he planned to speak with President William Lai (賴清德), which would mark the first time that a US president has talked to a Taiwanese leader since Washington switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979.
The government has not received notification of an upcoming conversation, Pan said, adding that Taiwan-US communications remain smooth and unobstructed.
He quoted the US as saying its policy stance on Taiwan has not changed, the “status quo” in the Taiwan Strait remains unchanged and it would continue to discuss arms sales issues with Taipei, not Beijing.
Taiwan-US relations remain friendly and positive, and both sides uphold the same view that peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is in the best interest of the world, National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) said.
Taiwan and the US are maintaining close communication and any updates would be announced by Washington, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the US, Taiwan’s de facto embassy in Washington, said last night.
Trump is expected to make a decision on the arms deal in the near future, a White House official said.
Trump approved a US$11.1 billion arms package to Taiwan in December last year, consistent with US policy since the 1950s, though he did not specify which policy he was referring to, the official said.
In his first term, Trump approved more arms sales to Taiwan than any president before him, they said, adding that in the first year of his second term, Trump approved arms packages of a total value surpassing that authorized by former US president Joe Biden over a four-year term.
In response to Lai’s presidential address yesterday marking two years in office and 30 years since Taiwan’s first direct presidential election, a US Department of State spokesperson said that the US’ policy toward Taiwan would remain consistent with its long-standing position over the past 40 years, guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the Three Communiques and the “six assurances.”
The US looks forward to working together with Lai and Taiwan to advance shared interests and uphold peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, the spokesperson said.
Washington urged Beijing to stop applying military, diplomatic and economic pressure on Taiwan and instead engage in meaningful cross-strait dialogue, they said.
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