Taiwan-US Relations

US Lawmakers Call for Continued Support for Taiwan After Trump-Xi Summit

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By Andy Hsueh/Fuhua Hung/Lery Hiciano

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US lawmakers from both parties are calling for continued support for Taiwan following last week’s Trump-Xi summit in Washington. Taiwan’s deputy foreign minister says Taipei has made clear to Washington that it urgently needs weapons to strengthen its defense capabilities.

Title: Questions Over US-Taiwan Ties

Bipartisan support for Taiwan after Trump-Xi summit

REPORTER:  
Chinese President Xi Jinping's summit with US President Donald Trump last week has sparked widespread reactions across Congress, as dozens of lawmakers call for Washington to double down on its support for Taiwan.

REPORTER:  
It comes amid concerns that closer engagement with Beijing could weaken Washington’s support for Taiwan. After reports that China pressed the US to halt arms sales to Taiwan, including a stalled $14 billion US dollar package.

Earlier this week, Senator Roger Wicker said he met with Taiwan's representative to the US, and called for Washington to provide Taiwan with defensive weapons based on commitments under the Taiwan Relations Act.

Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen and 20 fellow senators also released a statement, saying US support for Taiwan's defense is “non-negotiable.”

But here in Taiwan, officials say security ties with the US remain strong.

Chen Ming-chi (DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER):  
We are fully prepared, and believe we made our message very clear to the US government.  
We will respect whatever decision the US makes after taking all relevant factors into consideration.  
But the important thing is that they fully understand that we urgently need to obtain these weapons in order to strengthen our defense capabilities.

REPORTER:  
But some US lawmakers are increasingly concerned about China's growing influence in the Indo-Pacific region.

House Select Committee on China Chair, John Moolenar, on Monday warned that South Korea’s closer engagement with China could pose a "significant risk" to Washington.

He raised questions about Seoul’s stance in a potential Taiwan contingency, quoting South Korean President Lee Jae Myung saying: “[W]hat does it matter to us what happens in the Taiwan Strait?”

Taiwan’s deputy foreign minister responded by saying he hopes to expand cooperation with South Korea based on shared interests.

REPORTER:  
In the week since the high-level summit, US policy toward Taiwan appears unchanged for now. But attention is already shifting to the APEC Summit later this year, where Trump and Xi are expected to meet again.