Azernews.Az

By Alimat Aliyeva

US President Donald Trump has said he may speak with Taiwanese leader Lai Ching-te regarding a possible US arms sale to Taiwan — a move that would mark a significant break from decades of diplomatic tradition, AzerNEWS reports, citing BBC.

US and Taiwanese leaders have not held direct official talks since 1979, when Washington severed formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan in order to recognize the government in Beijing.

China considers Taiwan part of its territory and has repeatedly stated that it does not rule out using force to achieve reunification. Since taking office in 2024, Lai Ching-te has strongly pushed to modernize and strengthen Taiwan’s defense capabilities amid growing military pressure from Beijing.

The United States has long supported Taiwan and, under the Taiwan Relations Act, is committed to helping the island maintain its ability to defend itself. However, Washington has also tried to preserve stable diplomatic relations with China.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Trump said: “I’ll speak to him. I speak to everybody. We’ll work on that — the Taiwan issue.”

At the same time, Trump described his relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping as “amazing” following a two-day summit in Beijing last week.

In response, a spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry said Beijing “firmly opposes official exchanges between the United States and Taiwan,” as well as any US arms sales to the island. China also urged Washington to “stop sending the wrong signals to separatist forces in Taiwan.”

Interestingly, analysts say that even a brief direct conversation between US and Taiwanese leaders could trigger strong diplomatic reactions from Beijing, as China views such контакты as a challenge to its “One China” policy.