Taiwan President Says 'Happy' to Take up Trump's Offer of Call
Taiwan said Lai is open to a call with Trump as the two sides weigh a possible $14 billion U.S. arms package.
- President Donald Trump reiterated his willingness to speak with Taiwan President William Lai yesterday, the second time in a week he expressed this intent. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Lai is "happy to discuss these matters with President Trump."
- The potential dialogue follows Trump's meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping last week in Beijing, where Taiwan was a major focus. Washington shifted diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979, ending direct presidential communication between the nations.
- Washington is weighing a US$14 billion arms package for Taiwan under the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act. Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo said the U.S. remains "cautiously optimistic" about defensive sales given unchanged U.S. policy toward the island.
- National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu told lawmakers the government must "keep a low profile" regarding potential talks for now. He said elevated communications could benefit Taiwan, democratic nations, and the broader Indo-Pacific region.
- The timing of any conversation remains unclear, though such engagement could reshape Washington's relations with Beijing. China claims Taiwan as its own and has never renounced force to bring it under control, complicating diplomatic prospects.
21 Articles
21 Articles
Donald Trump Is Using $14,000,000,000 in Weapons for Taiwan as A Negotiating Chip with China
A $14 billion U.S. arms sale to Taiwan — one of the largest in the island’s history — remains in limbo for a fifth month as President Donald Trump considers using it as a negotiating chip with China. Congress approved the package in January 2026. Trump told reporters this week he will speak with Taiwan President William Lai Ching-te by phone — which would be the first direct U.S.-Taiwan presidential call since 1979, when Washington cut formal ti…
President Donald Trump said he would talk to his Taiwan counterpart, Lai Ching-te, about a possible arms sale, a measure considered unprecedented for an American leader who challenges US relations with China.The presidents of the United States and Taiwan have not communicated directly since Washington transferred Taipei's diplomatic recognition to Beijing in 1979.Trump violated that rule when he received a congratulatory call from Taiwan's then …
Following repeated statements by US President Donald Trump that he would speak with Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, Taiwanese officials said on Thursday (May 21) that Lai Ching-te was "very willing" to speak with Trump, but Taipei has not yet received any information regarding a possible call. The Chinese government, however, has expressed "firm opposition" to a possible call between the US and Taiwanese leaders.
Taiwan president says 'happy' to take up Trump's offer of call
Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te said Thursday he would be "happy" to talk to US leader Donald Trump, a conversation that would break more than four decades of diplomatic protocol and drew pre-emptive ire from China. Trump told reporters on Wednesday that he would speak to Lai, as the White House weighs arms sales to the democratic island.
Al Arabiya
The Star Kuala LumpurTaiwan president says 'happy' to talk to Trump
Taiwan Says President Lai Would Be Happy to Talk to Trump in Break From Protocol
Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on May 21 that Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te would be happy to speak with U.S. President Donald Trump, in what would be an unprecedented phone call between the leaders. Trump said on May 20 that he would speak to Lai, the second time in a week he has indicated as such. “I’ll speak to him,” Trump said when asked to clarify whether he was intending to call Lai about the final approval of U.S. arms sales…
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