BY EMMANUEL OGBONNA
Taiwan signaled on Monday that it would welcome a direct conversation between U.S. President Donald Trump and Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te following comments made by Trump after his recent summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping that sparked debate and unease in Taipei.
The remarks came after Trump and Xi held high-level discussions in Beijing last week, where the issue of Taiwan reportedly featured prominently. According to Chinese accounts of the meeting, Xi warned that mishandling the Taiwan issue could lead to conflict, reiterating Beijing’s long-standing position that the self-governed island is part of China and warning against any moves toward formal independence.
China has never ruled out the use of military force to bring Taiwan under its control and has steadily increased political, military and economic pressure on the island in recent years.
Following the summit, Trump made several comments regarding Taiwan that drew close attention from officials, analysts and investors in both Taipei and Washington. Among them were remarks suggesting he had not yet decided whether to approve new arms sales to Taiwan, comments implying he might be open to speaking directly with Lai, and statements indicating the United States was “not looking to have somebody say, ‘Let’s go independent.’”
The comments generated uncertainty in Taiwan because a direct conversation between a sitting U.S. president and Taiwan’s leader would mark a major diplomatic development. The United States formally switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979, and since then contacts between top leaders have remained extremely limited and politically sensitive.
Taiwanese Deputy Foreign Minister Chen Ming-chi said Trump’s remarks had caused “some unnecessary concern” inside Taiwan, although the government still believed there had been no fundamental shift in U.S. policy toward the island.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Chen said Taiwan would strongly welcome any opportunity for direct communication between Trump and Lai if the U.S. president intended such contact.
“Of course, we would also ask: based on what you have said, does that mean you want to speak with our president?” Chen said. “If he says yes, then should we make the relevant arrangements? We very much hope to have such an opportunity.”
Chen’s comments reflected Taipei’s broader effort to reassure the public and financial markets following days of speculation over Washington’s commitment to Taiwan’s security.
A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department said U.S. policy toward Taiwan remained unchanged, referencing earlier remarks by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The spokesperson declined to provide additional clarification regarding Trump’s comments or the possibility of direct talks with Lai.
The White House also released an official fact sheet summarizing Trump’s trip to China, though the document made no mention of Taiwan. Instead, it focused largely on trade discussions while briefly referencing North Korea and the ongoing conflict involving Iran.
Taiwan remains one of the most sensitive and dangerous flashpoints in U.S.-China relations. Beijing views any official interaction between foreign governments and Taiwan’s leadership as a challenge to its sovereignty claims, while Washington continues to maintain unofficial ties with Taipei under the framework of the Taiwan Relations Act.
That 1979 legislation obligates the United States to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself, making Washington the island’s most important international backer and largest supplier of defensive weapons.
Chen declined to discuss details of pending weapons purchases from the United States but emphasized that Taiwan urgently requires additional defense capabilities in response to growing military pressure from China.
“Our need for defense is urgent,” he said. “In the context of the threat from China, we need these systems as soon as possible.”
Taiwan has accelerated military modernization efforts in recent years as Chinese military aircraft and naval vessels increasingly operate near the island. Beijing has also staged large-scale military exercises around Taiwan following visits by foreign officials and political developments viewed unfavorably by the Chinese government.
Trump’s comments regarding Taiwanese independence also triggered widespread debate among political analysts and commentators in Taiwan, particularly over whether the U.S. president was signaling opposition to any future formal declaration of independence.
Experts cautioned, however, that Trump’s statements should not necessarily be interpreted as a major shift in American policy.
Tsai Jung-hsiang, a professor at Taiwan’s National Chung Cheng University, said the most reasonable interpretation was that Trump wanted to avoid unilateral moves by either Beijing or Taipei that could force the United States into a military confrontation.
“The correct interpretation should be that Trump does not want either side taking unilateral action that would drag the United States into conflict,” Tsai said.
Taiwan’s government has consistently maintained that it is not pursuing a formal declaration of independence because, in its view, the island already functions as a sovereign state under its official name, the Republic of China.
President Lai reiterated that position on Sunday, saying the Republic of China is already an independent country and does not belong to Beijing. He also dismissed suggestions that there was an active “Taiwan independence” agenda requiring formal declaration.
“There is no so-called Taiwan independence issue,” Lai said, restating a position long held by Taiwan’s ruling authorities.
Despite the political uncertainty surrounding Trump’s remarks, Taiwan’s financial markets remained relatively stable. Analysts said investors appeared reassured by the absence of any concrete policy change from Washington.
Mega International Investment Services analyst Alex Huang said comments following the Trump-Xi summit had little impact on Taiwanese equities.
“The remarks about Taiwan after the Trump-Xi meeting had no meaningful effect on Taiwanese stocks,” Huang said.
Still, analysts said the episode underscored how closely Taiwan watches signals from Washington at a time of rising geopolitical tensions across the Asia-Pacific region and increasingly strained relations between the United States and China.
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