Trump says he will speak with Taiwan president, risking US-China ties

President Donald Trump said Wednesday he plans to speak directly with Taiwan President Lai Ching-te — a move that would mark the first U.S.-Taiwan presidential contact since 1979 and risk further friction with Beijing, The Korea Times reported.

The announcement came days after Trump visited Beijing and met with Chinese President Xi Jinping, raising fresh questions about U.S. policy toward Taiwan — a self-governed island of 23 million that Beijing claims as its own territory and has never renounced using force to control.

Trump made the remarks to reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland before boarding Air Force One when asked about Lai. "I'll speak to him. I speak to everybody ... We'll work on that, the Taiwan problem," Trump said, according to The Korea Times. The statement was the second time in a week he had mentioned plans to contact the Taiwan president.

Notably, Trump echoed Beijing's own framing in referring to the "Taiwan problem" — language that mirrors Chinese government terminology. His visit to Beijing earlier in the month drew close scrutiny over how he characterized the island's status.

Washington has not had direct presidential contact with Taipei since 1979, when the United States shifted its diplomatic recognition from the Republic of China to the People's Republic of China. Beijing has maintained a claim over Taiwan and has never officially ruled out using military force to bring it under its control.

Earlier Wednesday, Lai issued a firm statement on Taiwan's sovereignty. "No country has the right to annex Taiwan. The people of Taiwan pursue a democratic and free way of life, and democracy and freedom should not be regarded as provocation," Lai said, The Korea Times reported.

Trump has approved more weapons sales to Taiwan than any previous U.S. president, yet has sent mixed signals since returning from Beijing. He has delayed a decision on a $14 billion arms package to Taipei that was under active consideration before his trip. Taiwan is the fourth-largest U.S. trading partner, primarily through exports of advanced semiconductors critical to global technology supply chains.

China, home to 1.4 billion people, regards Taiwan as a breakaway province that must eventually be reunified with the mainland. A direct Trump-Lai phone call, if it proceeds, would be widely seen as a political provocation in Beijing and could mark a significant shift in the delicate triangular relationship between Washington, Taipei and Beijing.