US President Donald Trump has recently mentioned twice the possibility of speaking with Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te to discuss arms sales to Taiwan. However, no progress has been reported on these arrangements. US media outlets reported on Friday (May 29) that Trump may have postponed his plans to speak with Lai Ching-te because the White House is planning a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping this fall.
CBS News, citing multiple sources familiar with the matter, reported that President Trump "no longer expects" to speak with Lai Ching-te before Xi Jinping's visit to the United States is finalized. The White House previously stated that Trump had invited Xi to visit the US on September 24, but the Chinese side has not yet confirmed the exact date.
On his return journey from his visit to China earlier this month, Trump stated aboard Air Force One that he had in-depth discussions with Xi Jinping regarding Taiwan and arms sales to Taiwan, and that he would soon have a dialogue with "the person currently governing Taiwan." In an interview the following week, he also emphasized that he would speak with Lai Ching-te about arms sales, and stated that arms sales to Taiwan could become a bargaining chip in negotiations with China.
Further reading｜Trump says he will discuss arms sales with Taiwan; Lai Ching-te responds with three points.
The report points out that since the United States severed diplomatic ties with the Republic of China in 1979, the current US president has never spoken directly with the leader of Taiwan. After his election in 2016, Trump received a congratulatory phone call from then-President Tsai Ing-wen, which at the time triggered a strong reaction from Beijing.
