Jake Sanders, Editor
US President Donald Trump revealed on Friday that he intends to discuss Taiwan with Chinese President Xi Jinping during their upcoming meeting on the margins of the APEC Summit in South Korea. In remarks made before departing for Asia, Trump expressed his respect for Taiwan and indicated that the topic would be part of their talks.
“I will be talking about Taiwan with Xi,” Trump stated. “We have a lot to discuss, and I believe the meeting will be productive.”
The issue of Taiwan has long been a sensitive point between the US and China. While China has not ruled out the use of force to unify with Taiwan, Taipei continues to strengthen military ties with Washington. The White House confirmed that Trump’s encounter with Xi is scheduled for next Thursday in Busan, South Korea.
Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung reassured allies that the US has assured Taiwan its interests remain protected. During a legislative session, Lin emphasized, “The US has repeatedly told us that its support for Taiwan remains firm and that relations with China will not harm Taiwan’s interests.”
Additionally, Reuters reported that Trump might raise the case of Jimmy Lai, the imprisoned founder of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily. “It’s on my list. I’m going to ask… We’ll see what happens,” Trump said.
This visit marks Trump’s first trip to Asia since taking office in January and his first meeting with Xi during his current term. He is expected to visit Malaysia and Japan after his stops in South Korea.
Addressing previous comments about China not taking aggressive actions on Taiwan, Trump cautioned, “It would be very risky for them to do so. I hope they won’t, but we’ll have to see.”
