Taiwan and the US have institutionalized communication channels, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said today, after US President Donald Trump recently said he would speak with President William Lai (賴清德) by phone following his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平).
Trump said again on Wednesday last week he would speak with Lai, dispelling initial speculation that his first mention of it earlier this month was a verbal slip.
Speaking to reporters before a Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee meeting in the legislature, Lin said the initiative to make the call was up to Trump, but there have been no bilateral consultations yet about it.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
"If there were a phone call between the heads of state of the US and Taiwan, I think we would view that very positively," Lin said.
Lin also said that the government received a briefing from the US government following the Trump-Xi meeting, which reaffirmed that Washington's policy toward Taiwan has not changed.
The US confirmed it wishes to maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and that future arms sales to Taiwan would be conducted in accordance with the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) to strengthen the nation's defense capabilities, Lin said.
The TRA is premised on the peaceful resolution of disputes, but China has unilaterally undermined this foundation, he said.
The key issue now is how to prevent China from altering the "status quo" and challenging cross-strait peace and stability, Lin said, adding that Taiwan and the US share the same stance on managing potential Chinese coercion.
Arms sales to Taiwan during Trump's first term reached a historical high, and the first arms sale of his second term has already exceeded the total amount approved during former US president Joe Biden's four years in office, Lin said.
A second batch of arms sales is currently being processed according to relevant laws and procedures by the US government and Congress, he added.
Asked about Trump's remarks that Taiwan ”stole” the US chip industry, Lin said that Taiwan secured its place in the global supply chain through its own hard work, making it an indispensable player.
In the era of artificial intelligence, Taiwan is a symbiotic partner and the optimal collaborator for the US, he added.
Additional reporting by Reuters
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