Taiwan Confident of US Support Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit

Taiwan is confident its relations with the United States will develop steadily ahead of US President Donald Trump’s expected meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung said on Monday.

Trump is due to visit Beijing from Wednesday to Friday for a summit at which Taiwan is expected to be discussed. China regards the democratically governed island as its territory and has never renounced the use of force to bring it under its control.

Lin said Taipei had maintained continuous communication with Washington through public statements and non-public channels.

“We are confident in the stable development of Taiwan-US relations”, he said.

“The US government has repeatedly expressed that its Taiwan policy will not change”, Lin added.

The US has long stressed the need for stability in the Taiwan Strait and is legally bound to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself.

Tensions have also risen inside Taiwan. The opposition-controlled parliament last week approved a smaller special defense budget than the government had requested. A senior US official said on Sunday that Washington was disappointed by the decision, saying the approved spending fell short of what the US believes is needed.

Lin said he hoped parliament could take remedial action so that defense spending would support Taiwan’s security policy.

“However, peace depends on strength. It requires demonstrating the defense capability for self-defense in order to deter aggression”, he said.

“In particular, the Chinese communists are currently pursuing military buildup and authoritarian expansion.”

(reuters, max)