Taiwan Officials Push Back on US Ties After Trump-Xi Summit
Taiwanese officials are pushing back against concerns that the recent meeting between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping could weaken US support for Taiwan. Foreign minister Lin Chia-lung and National Security Bureau head Tsai Ming-yen said communication with Washington remains smooth and that they have not received any notification of delays to pending arms sales.
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Taiwan Reaffirms Ties with US
REPORTER:
Officials here in Taipei say they’re communicating normally with the US, and they will continue deepening bilateral cooperation. That’s despite concerns following US President Donald Trump’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing earlier this month.
REPORTER:
Some lawmakers are questioning how that summit could impact Taiwan’s security and broader regional stability.
Lin Chia-lung (FOREIGN MINISTER):
Taiwan and the US have institutionalized communication channels. So after the Trump-Xi summit we also received briefings from the US government and repeatedly confirmed that US policy toward Taiwan has not changed. In addition, [both sides] hope to maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
REPORTER:
In a report delivered to lawmakers, the foreign ministry said stable US-China ties and strong Taiwan-US relations are not mutually contradictory and that US-China interactions do not affect the continued deepening of cooperation between Taiwan and the US.
REPORTER:
But some concerns still remain. Top of the list is Trump’s post-summit comment that US arms sales to Taiwan could be used as a “negotiating chip” in US-China talks. Lawmakers pressed national security officials on whether they knew Trump would use that language, and whether an expected $14 billion US dollar weapons package could now face delays.
Niu Hsu Ting, LEGISLATOR (KMT):
At this point, the outcome [of the Trump-Xi summit] appears to be highly uncertain. It also seems to be gradually moving in a direction that is not favorable to us.
Niu Hsu Ting, LEGISLATOR (KMT):
I just want to ask one thing throughout this entire process what was the National Security Bureau’s understanding and assessment regarding the [expected arms sale]?
Tsai Ming-yen (DIRECTOR-GENERAL, NATIONAL SECURITY BUREAU):
The committee member may have noticed that after [Trump’s] return he made some adjustments to his earlier remarks. That is why, as I mentioned earlier it is important to clearly distinguish between statements that represent long-established [US] policy and those that can be regarded as diplomatic rhetoric.
REPORTER:
Taiwanese officials say despite media reports, there has been no notification from the US on any delays in arms sales. But last Thursday, acting US Navy Secretary Hung Cao said the administration was pausing some foreign military sales to stock up on munitions for the conflict in Iran. $14 billion US dollars for a pending sale had been included in a recent special defense funding bill passed earlier this month. US lawmakers have also expressed their support for continued arms sales to Taipei.
REPORTER:
All eyes are now on whether arms sales and any other parts of US-Taiwan ties change in the aftermath of the summit. Although officials here maintain confidence in the relationship, what happens next may come down to Washington.
