A day after US President Donald Trump left China after key meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Taiwan’s Vice Foreign Minister Chen Ming-chi said on Saturday that US arms sales to Taiwan have always been a cornerstone of regional peace and stability and something that is enshrined in US law, Reuters reported. The statement comes as POTUS has said he hasn’t made up his mind about future sales.
Trump’s recent two-day state visit to Beijing was unexpectedly dominated by discussions of Taiwan. She pondered the possibility that the US and China might adopt a new framework for managing their complicated relationship. During the bilateral meeting, Xi Jinping warned Washington that differences in their stance on Taiwan would lead to clashes and conflicts between the two countries.
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Chen Ming-chi added: “Taiwan must be willing to defend itself.” Taiwan’s deputy foreign minister suggested the democratically-ruled country would continue to communicate and understand the situation from the US side regarding the second package of arms sales, saying: “Arms sales are an important basis for maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait,” Reuters reported.
It is important to note that the US plays a significant role as an international supporter of Taiwan, bound by the Taiwan Relations Act to provide arms to the island nation despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties. Trump on Friday raised uncertainty about US support for Taiwan, saying Washington had not decided whether to proceed with a major arms sale.
A look at the United States arms sales package to Taiwan in the past
The last approved package for arms sales to Taiwan by the Donald Trump administration, amounting to a record $11 billion, was in December. The second, worth around $14 billion, is still awaiting Trump’s approval, according to a Reuters report.
The US president appeared to suggest that he would hold talks with Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te about the proposed arms sale to Taiwan. After attending a summit with Xi Jinping, Trump remarked, “I have to talk to the person … who runs Taiwan.” While aboard Air Force One on his way home, Trump suggested that Si’s staunch opposition might prompt him to reconsider the U.S. stance on planned arms sales to Taipei. “He (Xi Jinping) feels very strongly about Taiwan, I’ve made no commitment whatsoever,” Bloomberg quoted Trump as saying.
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On the same issue, in a separate interview with Fox News, Trump said: “I may do it. I may not do it.” Trump noted: “I’m keeping it calm and it’s up to China,” adding that China “doesn’t want to see a fight for independence because that would be a very strong confrontation.”
Trump said he wanted China to “cool off” Taiwan and said Xi had asked him directly if Washington would defend Taiwan in a conflict. “There’s only one person who knows, you know, it’s me, I’m the only person,” Trump said, adding, “I said I’m not talking about it.”
Regarding the possibility of Trump meeting with the Taiwanese president, Chen said Taiwan still needed to understand the “true intent” of Trump’s remarks. Asserting that Taiwan, formally known as the Republic of China, is a “sovereign and independent country,” Chen Ming-chi said: “And only the 23 million people in Taiwan can decide our own future through democratic means,” Reuters reported.
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Although China claims Taiwan as its territory, it has never given up using force to bring the island nation under its control. Lai considers Ching-te a “separatist” and has even turned down offers for interviews several times in the past.
