According to a May 25, 2026 report by The Epoch Times following the Trump-Xi meeting, outside observers have been closely watching the direction of U.S. policy toward Taiwan and when a call between Trump and Lai might take place. Taiwan Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung said on Monday, May 25 that Taiwan and the United States maintain institutional communication channels. After the Trump-Xi meeting, Taiwan received a briefing from the U.S. side confirming that American policy toward Taiwan remains unchanged. He also said that a second batch of arms sales is proceeding according to the law and established procedures.
Regarding the recent surge in so-called “U.S. skepticism” narratives, National Security Bureau Director-General Tsai Ming-yen explained that during the Trump-Xi meeting, nearly 100 groups of abnormal online accounts spread more than 9,000 controversial messages across various social media platforms.
According to a report by Central News Agency, Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee on May 25 invited Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung and NSB Director-General Tsai Ming-yen to deliver a report titled “Assessment and Response to the Impact of the New Geopolitical Situation After the U.S.-China Leaders’ Summit on Taiwan’s Diplomacy and Overall National Security.” The Mainland Affairs Council was also asked to attend and prepare for questioning.
Before the meeting, reporters asked Lin whether there had been any progress on a phone call between Donald Trump and Lai Ching-te. Lin responded:
“Taiwan and the United States have institutional communication channels. After this Trump-Xi meeting, we also received briefings from the U.S. government, which has repeatedly confirmed that U.S. policy toward Taiwan has not changed. In addition, on maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait — especially in response to military threats from China — the positions of the U.S. and Taiwan are aligned. It is also confirmed that future U.S. arms sales to Taiwan will follow the Taiwan Relations Act to strengthen Taiwan’s defense capabilities.”
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He further emphasized that the foundation of the Taiwan Relations Act is the peaceful resolution of disputes. According to Lin, the Chinese Communist Party has already unilaterally undermined that foundation. He said the key issue now is how to prevent Beijing from continuously damaging the status quo and challenging peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. On this point, he said, Taiwan and the United States share the same position and must jointly manage any possible coercion from China.
CCP military activities around Taiwan continue
According to updates released by Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense, Chinese military activities around the Taiwan Strait have not ceased. The ministry said on May 26 that between 6 a.m. on May 25 and 6 a.m. on May 26, it detected seven Chinese naval vessels and 29 Chinese military aircraft operating around Taiwan. Among them, 24 aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered northern, central, southwestern, and eastern air defense zones.
Taiwan’s Defense Ministry stressed that the armed forces closely monitored and responded to the situation using mission aircraft, naval vessels, and shore-based missile systems.
According to the Central News Agency, during questioning by Democratic Progressive Party legislator Chen Chun-yu, concern was raised over how Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry interprets the White House fact sheet stating that the United States and China should establish a “constructive strategic stability relationship.”
In response, Lin Chia-lung said that so-called stable U.S.-China relations should involve using constructive methods to stabilize what he described as the Chinese Communist Party’s role as a “troublemaker” seeking to alter the status quo.
He added, “The U.S. and China remain in a strategic competitive relationship, and the escalating threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party are a global issue. Peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait are extremely important, and China must not be allowed to find an excuse to change the status quo through force. Peace depends on strength, strength depends on deterrence, and deterrence requires defeating the authoritarian expansion of the CCP.”
Future sales will continue
Regarding U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, Lin explained that it has been confirmed future sales will continue to follow the provisions of the Taiwan Relations Act to strengthen Taiwan’s defense capabilities.
He noted that, as the United States itself has pointed out, the Donald Trump administration approved the highest level of arms sales to Taiwan in history. Whether during Trump’s first term or the first arms sale of his second term, the amount exceeded the total approved during the four years of the Joe Biden administration.
“The second batch of arms sales is currently proceeding according to law and established procedures,” Lin said, adding that “this also involves not only the U.S. president, but also Congress and the operations of the U.S. government. It is currently being handled and developed.”
Meanwhile, following the Trump-Xi meeting, narratives expressing skepticism toward the United States gained traction online. According to a report by Liberty Times, National Security Bureau Director-General Tsai Ming-yen said the NSB is closely monitoring Chinese cognitive warfare operations.
“During the Trump-Xi meeting, the National Security Bureau identified nearly 100 groups of abnormal accounts online that spread more than 9,000 controversial messages across various social media platforms,” Tsai said.
He explained that these “abnormal accounts” refer to accounts lacking normal social connections or mutual interactions, but which echoed official Chinese propaganda narratives at specific times. Ordinary public opinion does not fall within this classification.
After screening the controversial messages, the NSB notified relevant government agencies so clarifications and explanations could be issued immediately.
US is not abandoning Taiwan
Tsai added that agencies including the United States Department of State also moved quickly to refute claims that the U.S. was abandoning Taiwan or changing its Taiwan policy, reiterating that American policy and arms sales to Taiwan remain unchanged. He said such statements help counter narratives promoting distrust of the United States and fears of Taiwan being abandoned.
Tsai Ming-yen also analyzed what he described as the Chinese Communist Party’s “peace fallacy” strategy, saying it operates on three levels.
First, he said Beijing links the “One China framework” to peace in the Taiwan Strait, arguing that without accepting the One China framework there can be no peace and that Taiwan could face the danger of war. According to Tsai, this is intended to intimidate Taiwanese society and the public.
Second, he said China promotes internationally the idea that both sides of the Taiwan Strait support peaceful unification. Through this “peace” narrative, Beijing seeks to discourage outside involvement in what it calls China’s internal affairs, thereby isolating Taiwan’s international ties and cooperation.