Trump says he'll call Taiwan

President Donald Trump said on May 20 that he would speak with Taiwan President Lai Ching-te, opening the possibility of direct contact between the two leaders for the first time since Washington switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979. Trump made the remark after being asked whether he planned to call Lai, saying, “Well, I’ll speak to him. I speak to everybody.” Taiwan responded a day later by saying Lai would welcome such a conversation. China answered with a warning, saying the United States should handle Taiwan “with extreme caution” and stop sending what it called wrong signals to supporters of Taiwan independence. The immediate issue is not that a call has happened. (bloomberg.com) As of May 22, public reporting says Trump signaled willingness to speak with Lai, but no date or confirmed arrangement for a call has been announced. ### Why is a phone call such a sensitive step? The year 1979 is the key date. That was when the United States shifted diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing, and U.S. presidents since then have not held direct leader-to-leader contact with Taiwan’s president under normal diplomatic practice. (msn.com) Trump has crossed that line before in a different capacity. (nbcnews.com) In December 2016, after winning election but before taking office, he spoke with then-Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, a call that broke with decades of precedent but did not involve a sitting U.S. president. Reuters-described coverage of this week’s remarks says a Trump-Lai conversation now would be unprecedented for a U.S. leader in office. (taiwannews.com.tw) ### What exactly did Trump and Lai say? Trump’s comment came in response to a reporter’s question about whether he planned to call Lai. Bloomberg and Reuters-based reports cited by other outlets said he offered no timetable and no further details beyond saying he would speak with him. (taiwannews.com.tw) Lai’s response was more formal. Taiwan’s government said he was committed to maintaining the “stable status quo” in the Taiwan Strait and would be “happy” to discuss those matters with Trump. Taiwan’s foreign ministry and presidential office used that language in comments reported on May 21. (bloomberg.com) ### Why does Beijing object to this level of contact? China’s foreign ministry called Taiwan the most sensitive issue in U.S.-China relations and said Washington should stop official exchanges with the island. In comments reported on May 21, Beijing said the United States should handle the issue with “extreme caution” and avoid sending wrong signals to what it calls separatist forces. (msn.com) Beijing claims Taiwan as its own territory and rejects any move that treats Taiwan’s president as the head of a separate sovereign state. That is why the rank of the participants matters: a president-to-president conversation carries more weight than lower-level unofficial contact that has long existed between Washington and Taipei. (straitstimes.com) ### What could happen if the call goes ahead? China has reacted forcefully before to senior U.S.-Taiwan contact. After then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in 2022, Beijing launched large-scale military drills around the island. Reports this week said analysts expect any Trump-Lai call to risk renewed military signaling or diplomatic retaliation from China. (straitstimes.com) Trump’s Taiwan messaging has also been mixed. Recent reporting said he had warned Taiwan against a formal declaration of independence even as he signaled openness to direct talks with Lai and weighed a possible arms package for the island. ### What should readers watch next? (aljazeera.com) The next concrete marker is simple: whether the White House or Taiwan’s presidential office announces a date, time or agenda for a Trump-Lai conversation. As of May 22, neither side had publicly done so in the reports reviewed. China’s foreign ministry is also likely to be the first place to watch for an official response if plans move forward. (bloomberg.com) Any statement from Beijing, or any unusual Chinese military activity around Taiwan reported in the days after an announcement, would be the clearest sign that the diplomatic dispute is widening. (straitstimes.com) (nbcnews.com)