TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Chen Ming-chi (陳明祺) on Monday said Taiwan would welcome an opportunity for President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) to speak with US President Donald Trump.
While returning to Washington aboard Air Force One after a state visit to China on Friday, Trump told reporters he needed to speak with the person “running Taiwan,” an apparent reference to Lai, regarding arms sales, per BBC. Asked to comment on the remark, Chen said the matter has yet to be confirmed and that the government would use all channels to understand Washington’s true intentions, per Liberty Times.
“If he (Trump) is willing to speak with our president, this would be a very good and rare opportunity,” Chen said.
He said China had exploited an information gap by presenting Beijing’s narrative to Trump during his private meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, per CNA. Therefore, if given the opportunity, Lai would explain Taiwan's position that it seeks to maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, while China intends to undermine it.
Chen said Japan and the Philippines have also faced repeated harassment from China at sea, CNA reported. “They are all very aware of this,” he said.
Asked whether Taiwan communicated with the US during the Trump-Xi summit, Chen said Taiwan and the US maintained communication channels before, during, and after the meeting, per Mirror Media. He said Taiwan had prior knowledge of the topics China and the US might discuss and remained in close contact with Washington throughout the summit.
Chen said Trump’s remarks are shaped by his background, personality, and personal speaking style, Mirror Media reported. However, he emphasized that US policy toward Taiwan has not changed and that maintaining the status quo in the Taiwan Strait remains a key interest for all parties.
He added that communication channels between Taiwan and the US remain open and that Taipei continues to stay in contact with friends in Washington, according to Mirror Media. Chen also said Taiwan seeks to preserve the status quo, while China is attempting to alter peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait through military actions, gray-zone tactics, and cognitive warfare.
