"Trump also said on the plane that he'd have to talk to “the person who... is running Taiwan” about the arms sales issue, though Trump would infuriate Beijing if he actually did speak with President Lai Ching-te. The arms sales issue is also sensitive in Taipei, even with the pro-autonomy Democratic Progressive Party in power."
A $14 billion arms package for Taiwan, including missiles and air defense interceptors, has been held up for months. Trump said the priority is avoiding a war and criticized the idea of honoring the 1982 “six assurances” not to consult China about arms sales to Taiwan. He indicated arms sales discussions have already occurred and framed future decisions as his responsibility. Statements from Trump have alarmed Taiwan’s U.S.-friendly government and allies in Japan and South Korea. Japan’s prime minister said Trump called from Air Force One for a detailed briefing on talks with Xi. Trump suggested he would need to speak with the person running Taiwan, while noting that speaking with President Lai Ching-te would infuriate Beijing. Taiwan’s parliament also took months to appropriate funds for the pending package, and an earlier deal reportedly prompted Xi to warn Trump against further deliveries.
#us-china-relations #taiwan-arms-sales #trump-administration #japan-south-korea-security #china-taiwan-tensions
Read at Axios
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