Pence offers Taiwan peace of mind on Trump

 Direct translation

Are Trump and Xi going to make a big deal?

— Are Trump and Xi going to make a big deal? He offers Taiwan peace of mind

 Editor: Fang Xun / Source: World News Network / https://www.aboluowang.com/2025/1010/2289018.html / 

Image : Former U.S. Vice President Pence. Photo by reporter Chen Xiwen

U.S. President Trump is expected to meet with Xi Jinping at the APEC summit. Former US Vice President Mike Pence stated on the 9th that Taiwan will not be a bargaining chip in U.S.negotiations, nor should it ever be. He also believes that Trump will focus on opening up the Chinese market during the Trump-Xi meeting.

Taiwan Security Monitor held a symposium on the 9th titled "Why Taiwan Matters?" and invited Pence to speak. Taiwan's representative to the US, Yu Dayu, also attended as an observer.

Recent reports have indicated that Xi Jinping may ask the US to express opposition to Taiwanese independence during the Trump-Xi meeting, and some scholars even believe Xi may ask the US to support peaceful reunification.

Asking whether the US might use Taiwan as a bargaining chip, Pence stated that Taiwan will not be a bargaining chip in negotiations with China, nor should it ever be. Pence said he had read reports that Xi Jinping's subordinates had suggested that this was a possible agreement, but he believed the Americans would not accept it.

However, Pence analyzed that Trump is very eager to reach a trade deal with China, especially since American farmers are suffering greatly from China's reduction in purchases of agricultural products like soybeans, and Trump is aware of this.

Pence also stated that China has long exploited its developing country status to its advantage but he believes that China is now a developed country and it is time for it to open its market and recognize international trade rules. Pence believes this will be a key focus of the Trump-Xi meeting.

Trump-Xi talks are about to begin. Trump: China will soon resume buying U.S. soybeans

https://ec.ltn.com.tw/article/breakingnews/5206493 / Image of Trump : AFP

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday (9th) that he will pressure Chinese President Xi Jinping to end Beijing's months-long ban on buying U.S. soybeans during a meeting with him later this month. Trump predicted that China would soon resume buying U.S. soybeans after the meeting.

Bloomberg reported that Trump said he expected to see more openness on the soybean issue. Xi Jinping had some things he wanted to discuss with him, and Trump also had some things he wanted to discuss with him, one of which was soybeans. 

 For the past few weeks, the Trump administration has been hinting at launching an aid program for farmers as a way to provide temporary assistance before market conditions improve, but Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins pointed out that as long as the government is short of funds, no such plan will be announced. Rollins said at a White House cabinet meeting that this work must wait until the government reopens before it can be advanced. Once there is progress, a major program can be launched to assist American farmers in the long term. The American agricultural community overwhelmingly voted for Trump in the 2024 presidential election. However, during Trump's second term, these regions have been hard hit by a drying up of export markets, the scaling back of many federal safety net programs, and the trade war Trump has launched against nearly all of the United States' trading partners.

China, the world's largest soybean importer, has refused to buy American soybeans, hitting American farmers particularly hard. Despite the current truce in the US-China trade war, Beijing has turned to other exporters, such as Brazil and Argentina, for supplies. Trump has cited this as a tactic within broader trade negotiations.

Trump warned that he would use some of his influence during his meeting with Xi Jinping during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. When asked about Beijing's new restrictions on rare earths, Trump hinted at the possibility of restricting exports of certain commodities to China, but did not provide specifics.