Direct Translations
Trump to call Lai Ching-te before decision on arms sale? Trump: I will talk to him
Reporter : Wei Guojin,Taipei / https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/politics/breakingnews/5444075 / Image : Trump stated that he will speak with President Lai Ching-te before making a decision on arms sales. (AFP)
According to a post by the White House Rapid Response account "@RapidResponse47" at 9:48 pm tonight, when asked by reporters, "Do you plan to call Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te before making a decision on arms sales?", President Trump responded, "I will talk to him, I will talk to everyone. We have complete control of the situation. We have had a very good meeting with President Xi, and we will handle the Taiwan issue."
Original text as follows:
Q: "Do you have any plans to call President Lai of Taiwan before you make a decision on the weapons package?"
A: "I'll speak to him. I speak to everybody. We have that situation very well in hand. We had a great meeting with President Xi... we'll work on that, the Taiwan problem."
"Do you have any plans to call President Lai of Taiwan before you make a decision on the weapons package?" @POTUS: "I'll speak to him. I speak to everybody. We have that situation very well in hand. We had a great meeting with President Xi... we'll work on that, the Taiwan… pic.twitter.com/nTUcNUyg1T
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) May 20, 2026
Trump confirms he will speak with Lai Ching-te; Arms sales to Taiwan to be approved?
U.S. President Donald Trump said today (20 May) that he will speak with ROC President Lai Ching-te. This timing is highly sensitive, as the US is currently considering whether to approve a $14 billion arms sale to Taiwan.
Before boarding Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, Trump was asked by reporters whether he would speak with Lai Ching-te before making a decision on the arms sale. Trump replied, "I will talk to him. I talk to everyone. We have the situation under very good control."
While he did not specify when the call would take place, Trump mentioned last week upon returning to the US from his visit to China that he had discussed the Taiwan issue in detail with Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping, including arms sales to Taiwan.
Trump also said at the time that he would make a decision on the arms sale in a short time and would also speak with "the person governing Taiwan." He also emphasized that he had not made any commitments to Xi Jinping on the Taiwan issue.
Lai Ching-te responded today, saying that if he had the opportunity to speak with Trump by phone, he would tell him that Taiwan's strengthening of its defense and its purchase of weapons from the United States are for the purpose of protecting Taiwan's security and maintaining stability in the Taiwan Strait, and he hopes the arms purchase plan can continue.
The U.S. Congress passed the $14 billion arms sale to Taiwan last year, but whether it will be implemented ultimately depends on Trump's decision.
In an interview with Fox News last week, Trump also discussed the Taiwan issue. He said that the U.S. policy towards Taiwan has not changed, and it does not want to see anyone pursue independence, which could ultimately lead to a war in the Taiwan Strait, but he did not rule out the possibility of approving the arms sale.
He said, "If we maintain the current status quo, I think China can accept it. But we don't want anyone to think, 'Since the US supports us, let's just become independent.'"
Although the CCP has never ruled Taiwan for a single day, Beijing has consistently claimed sovereignty over Taiwan and has repeatedly threatened to use force. The Taiwanese government emphasizes that Taiwan's future can only be decided by the Taiwanese people themselves.
In recent years, as the CCP has continued to increase military pressure on Taiwan, Taiwan has also continued to strengthen its defense. Trump has previously stated that a war in the Taiwan Strait will not occur during his term.
For the first time in 47 years, Trump will speak with Lai Ching-te, escalating U.S.-Taiwan interaction
Reporter : Lin Xi / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2026/05/20/a104098469.html
On 20 May 2026, US President Trump revealed that he will speak with Republic of China (Taiwan) President Lai Ching-te to discuss arms sales to Taiwan. This news has attracted widespread attention; if a formal call takes place, it will be the first in 47 years.
President Lai Ching-te stated on Wednesday (20 May) that if given the opportunity to speak directly with U.S. President Trump, he will express his desire to continue arms sales to Taiwan. This is a necessary condition for maintaining peace across the Taiwan Strait, especially given the ongoing threats from the Chinese Communist Party.
President Trump responded that the government will make a decision on the plan to sell $14 billion worth of weapons to Taiwan in the near future.
Reporter: "Before formally deciding on arms sales to Taiwan, do you plan to speak with President Lai Ching-te of the Republic of China?"
U.S. President Trump: "I will talk to him. I will talk to everyone. We have the situation under very good control."
Observers believe that the U.S. and Taiwan echo each other's positions on arms sales and security issues, and the atmosphere of bilateral policy interaction continues to warm.
Sheng Hsueh, Vice Chairman of the Civil Human Rights Front: "He (Trump) has indeed taken a series of very unconventional approaches towards Taiwan. For example, during his first term, he sold F-16V fighter jets and HIMARS multiple launch rockets to Taiwan. In December 2025, he added $11 billion in defense funding, and now he has $14 billion in arms sales on the table. So President Trump is using the most concrete institutional and legal protective measures to build Taiwan's counter-offensive capabilities."
Recently, the CCP announced the results of the Sino-U.S. trade consultations, and the military issue between the US and Taiwan has simultaneously heated up.
Sheng Hsueh: "In President Trump's logic, restoring U.S.-China trade is to ensure US economic interests, which also involves US national security. This is actually a very clear and strong signal (from Trump) is sending to Xi Jinping. Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized that the Taiwan Strait is the CCP's bottom line, and President Trump is also telling Xi Jinping that peace and security in the Taiwan Strait are also a strategic red line for the U.S.. He will not accept blackmail, and there is no room for bargaining."
Analysts believe this highlights that US-China relations are exhibiting a dual-track pattern of maintained economic engagement and continued security competition, with the Taiwan Strait situation remaining a core focus of the two countries' rivalry.
Sheng Hsueh, Vice Chairman of the Civil Human Rights Front: "This appears to be President Trump's two-pronged approach, separating trade and strategy. This is also an atypical aspect of his diplomatic art. It also highlights the important position of the Taiwan Strait situation within President Trump's global strategy."
Sheng Hsueh, Vice Chairman of the Civil Human Rights Front: "I believe he (Trump) will make the best arrangements regarding arms sales to Taiwan. I even envision him breaking the biggest taboo since the severing of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Taiwan during his term—arranging a meeting with President Lai Ching-te."
If the dialogue takes place, it will be the first time in nearly half a century that a sitting US president has spoken directly with the president of the Republic of China (Taiwan).
Xi's attempt to steal a chicken backfires! Lai Ching-te will have a direct phone call with Trump
-—Breaking news! The President of the Republic of China is about to have a regular phone call with Trump!
Reporters : Sun Ruihou, Wang Duruo / Editor : Fang Xun / https://www.aboluowang.com/2026/0520/2385823.html / Image : Web Screenshot
Latest news: ROC President Lai Ching-te is about to have a phone call with US President Trump! According to Taiwan's *Era Evening News*, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is actively arranging the call between the two presidents, which is expected to take place shortly after 20 May 2026.
Previously, Trump stated on his return trip to the U.S. after his trip to Beijing that he would "talk to the people governing Taiwan" before deciding on arms sales to Taiwan. This statement has sparked considerable attention regarding whether Trump might directly speak with President Lai Ching-te. ROC Representative to the US Yu Ta-wei, in an interview with CBS, stated, "We can wait and see." DPP caucus whip Chuang Jui-hsiung also indicated that he welcomes increased communication between the U.S. president and the Taiwanese ruling team.
After President Trump stated that "arms sales to Taiwan are a bargaining chip in negotiations with the CCP," Defense Minister Gu Lixiong, in an interview at the Legislative Yuan on the 19th, still expressed a "cautiously optimistic" attitude.
Gu Lixiong emphasized, "According to the Taiwan Relations Act, we are full of confidence in maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait." He pointed out that even in the face of changes in U.S.-China relations, the US commitment to arms sales to Taiwan will not be easily shaken, and Taiwan will continue to strengthen its self-defense capabilities and maintain close communication with the U.S..
KMT Chairperson Cheng Li-wen has been vehemently opposing the defense budget cuts, and there is also some opposition within the party. KMT Legislator Lai Shih-pao pointed out that the special defense budget has been cut from NT$1.25 trillion to NT$780 billion, a reduction of NT$470 billion, which will seriously affect Taiwan's defense autonomy, industrial transformation, and employment opportunities! "Peace and stability cannot rely solely on others; we must also work hard ourselves!"
In response, Aboluowang commentator Wang Duran analyzed that Xi Jinping originally wanted to use the Xi-Trump meeting to pressure Trump to reduce arms sales to Taiwan, but the result was a "backfire." Not only did he fail to persuade Trump, but it may have even led to the first direct phone call between Trump and Lai Ching-te, resulting in a major reversal of the situation. Trump has never formally spoken with Lai Ching-te before. If this hotline takes place, it would symbolize a further escalation of high-level interactions between the U.S. and Taiwan, and could potentially be the most embarrassing moment for Beijing since the Trump-Xi meeting.
Latest news from Mr. Tao Miao: The Lai-Trump hotline is about to begin!
President Lai Ching-te of the Republic of China is about to speak with President Trump!
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is arranging the call between the two presidents, which should take place shortly after 20 May. 🔥
No comments:
Post a Comment