Presidential Office Secretary-General Pan Men-an (潘孟安) yesterday 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 telephone call between President William Lai (賴清德) and US President Donald Trump.
En route to Washington on Friday last week 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: Tien 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 are in the best interests of the US, Pan said.
Trump on Wednesday told reporters that he planned to speak with Lai, which would mark the first time that a US president has talked to a Taiwanese president 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.
CLOSE COMMUNICATION
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 said on Wednesday.
Trump is expected to make a decision on the arms deal soon, 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, the official said.
In his first term, Trump approved more arms sales to Taiwan than any other US president, 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.
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 Joint Communiques and the “six assurances.”
VISIT IN DOUBT
Meanwhile, the Financial Times yesterday reported that Beijing is holding up a proposed visit by US Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby, as China pressures Trump over the US$14 billion weapons package.
Colby discussed a summer visit to Beijing with Chinese officials, but China has signaled that it cannot approve a visit until Trump decides how to proceed with the arms package, the report said, citing people familiar with the talks.
Additional reporting by Reuters
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