TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he would speak with President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) before deciding on a NT$441.9 billion (US$14 billion) arms package to Taiwan.
Speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews, Trump said: “I’ll speak to him, I speak to everybody. We have that situation very well in hand,” according to a video published by Bloomberg. He added that he would work on resolving “the Taiwan problem.”
In response, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hsiao Kuang-wei (蕭光偉) said Lai previously noted that communication channels between Taiwan and the US have always remained open, CNA reported. If given the chance to speak with Trump, he would convey the views of Taiwanese society.
The foreign ministry said China is the destabilizing force in the Taiwan Strait. China’s expanding military presence in the East China Sea and South China Sea, and its military activities in the western Pacific, have increased tensions across the Indo-Pacific region, it said, per CNA.
The ministry reiterated Lai’s belief in peace through strength. Enhancing defense capabilities and purchasing military equipment from the US are necessary to safeguard Taiwan’s security, it said, adding that it hopes such arms sales will continue.
The ministry also reaffirmed Taiwan’s sovereignty and said its freedom and democracy should not be viewed as provocations.
Alexander Yui Tah-ray (俞大㵢), Taiwan’s US representative, said in a CBS interview earlier this week that Taiwan was willing to explain its position to the US, underscoring resilience and resistance to Chinese provocation.
Trump had a phone conversation with then-President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) in December 2016, shortly after he was elected. The two shared their views and principles regarding key policy matters and discussed bilateral relations.
