TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said Tuesday that Beijing is seeking to influence US President Donald Trump’s handling of relations with China and Taiwan.
Trump and Xi are scheduled to meet in the US on Sept. 24, with Lin saying Xi is expected to raise the Taiwan issue during his visit, per UDN. He said Trump has a range of issues to discuss with Beijing, including trade, investment, procurement, and AI competition.
Lin said the US government has repeatedly assured Taiwan that its policy toward the country has not changed, while emphasizing that peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait serve the interests of the US and the wider world. He also cited Trump’s May visit to China, saying the US president expressed his view that “Taiwan is Taiwan.”
Taiwan-US relations should not be tied to US-China relations, Lin said, noting that Xi has sought to link the two issues, according to Liberty Times.
He cited reports that Xi could cancel his US visit if Washington approves arms sales to Taiwan before the meeting, saying such reports create a narrative that Trump would refrain from selling weapons to Taiwan because he values Xi’s visit.
When host Huang Wei-han (黃暐瀚) asked when President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) might visit the US and make a transit stop, Lin said the government would arrange the trip at an appropriate time.
