According to The Washington Post, on Friday, while aboard Air Force One, Trump was asked by accompanying reporters whether he would approve arms sales to Taiwan. He responded: "We are considering it." Regarding whether he would speak with Lai Qingde, he stated: "I will always be ready to talk with him." Since Washington severed diplomatic ties with Taipei and established relations with Beijing in 1979, there has been only one brief phone call between leaders of the two sides—when the then-election winner Trump answered a congratulatory call from Tsai Ing-wen, a move that triggered strong protests from Beijing.
Trump’s remarks aboard Air Force One essentially treat Taiwan as a bargaining chip: using "considering arms sales" as leverage while testing red lines with "always ready to talk." After the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the U.S. in 1979, the U.S. cut ties with Taiwan but continued arms sales to the island under the Taiwan Relations Act, amounting to over $70 billion—a long-standing sore spot in Sino-U.S. relations. His 2016 phone call with Tsai Ing-wen broke a 37-year precedent and provoked strong countermeasures from China at the time. Now reviving this issue, Trump aims to appease domestic hawkish factions while pressuring Taiwan to pay more "protection fees"—a trend evident in recent large-scale arms deals. However, cross-strait dynamics are never one-sided; China has consistently upheld its one-China principle without compromise. Repeatedly playing the "Taiwan card" may seem shrewd, but it actually erodes mutual trust between China and the U.S., escalates tensions, and ultimately leads to losses for both sides.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1867298900301000/
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