Trump remarks spark Taiwan appeal to continue US weapons sales
Donald Trump (photo: Getty Images)
The Taiwanese government urges the United States to continue arms deliveries, even as President Donald Trump says he has not yet decided on future weapons sales, according to Reuters.
Background
The United States is obligated to provide arms to the island under the Taiwan Relations Act.
However, on May 15, after meeting Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing, Donald Trump said he had not yet decided whether to continue major arms sales, heightening uncertainty over US support for Taiwan.
What Taiwan said
Following the development, Taiwanese presidential spokesperson Karen Kuo said that the growing military threat from China is the "sole destabilizing factor" in the Indo-Pacific region, including the Taiwan Strait.
"Furthermore, military sales between Taiwan and the US are not only a reflection of the US security commitment to Taiwan as stipulated in the Taiwan Relations Act, but also serve as a mutual deterrence against regional threats," she said.
Taiwan also added that it is grateful to Trump for his long-standing and consistent support for security in the Taiwan Strait, and that Taipei continues to deepen cooperation with the United States.
Reuters notes that US lawmakers from both the Republican and Democratic parties have strongly urged the Trump administration to continue arms sales.
Vice president of the Taiwan-based think tank Institute for Policy Research, Kuo Yu-ren, said Trump could delay approval of a new package until the end of September, when he is expected to invite Xi Jinping to visit the United States.
Trump himself, after meeting the Chinese leader, suggested to reporters that he would speak with Taiwan’s president Lai Ching-te about potential arms sales: "I have to speak to the person ... that's running Taiwan."
Although the Taiwanese presidential spokesperson did not confirm whether Lai Ching-te and Trump would hold a call, a senior Taiwanese security official said the US president's remark was "quite clear."
"The party with whom arms sales are to be discussed is Taiwan, not Beijing," the source said on condition of anonymity.
Notably, when asked about a possible conversation, Taiwan's Deputy Foreign Minister Chen Ming-chi said the island still needs to better understand Trump's "true intents."
What else we know
Earlier, Chinese leader Xi Jinping told Donald Trump during their meeting that wrong decisions on Taiwan could lead to conflict between the two countries. He stressed that cooperation benefits both sides, while confrontation harms both.
After the meeting, the US president said he does not support an official declaration of independence by Taiwan and wants to avoid escalation in relations with China.
