Taiwan Responds to Trump Comments After Xi Summit
After comments from US President Donald Trump that raised concerns over Washington's commitments to Taipei, Taiwan’s government says it expects relations to remain unchanged and that both sides will deepen cooperation.
Taiwan-U.S. Arms Deal Expectations Remain Unchanged
REPORTER:
Taiwanese government officials have made clear that they expect no changes to bilateral ties between Taipei and Washington, including arms deals. After US Donald Trump’s summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, he made several comments that raised alarms, including calling weapons sales to Taipei a “good bargaining chip,” as he deals with China.
Shen Yu-cheng (DEPUTY MINISTER, MAINLAND AFFAIRS COUNCIL):
[Trump] did not make any commitments to China on this [arms sales] issue, which is an important signal. Some are questioning if the Six Assurances are under threat but I think that is an overreaction.
REPORTER:
The Six Assurances are an informal set of promises that guide US policy towards Taiwan, despite no formal diplomatic ties and recognizing the government in Beijing. They include a commitment that China has no say in US arms transfers to Taipei.
REPORTER:
Yet Trump said that he and Xi Jinping in their meetings discussed Taiwan and US arms sales. After the summit, Trump said he was undecided on an upcoming weapons deal with Taipei. US officials, on the other hand, have maintained the US approach to Taiwan remains consistent.
REPORTER:
Taiwanese officials in response say that Trump has been a supporter of Taiwan and keeping stability in the Taiwan Strait. They have called for Washington to continue its legal commitment of providing weapons for Taiwan’s self-defense.
Karen Kuo (SPOKESPERSON, PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE):
We also thank President Trump for his continued support for security in the Taiwan Strait since his first term. We will deepen Taiwan–US cooperation bringing peace through strength.
Taiwan-US arms sales not only embody America’s security commitment to Taiwan as explicitly stated in the Taiwan Relations Act but are also a shared deterrent against regional threats.
REPORTER:
Taiwan and the US signed their largest-ever arms deal last December, worth $11 billion USD. There’s a $14 billion deal reportedly already agreed to but not yet announced. Now, all eyes will be on whether Trump’s most recent comments lead to any change in US policy, despite the official promises.
