Taiwan’s relations with the United States are “very solid,” Taiwan’s president said Thursday, hours after a phone conversation between President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, including a discussion of the future of the self-governing island.
Taipei, Taiwan — Taiwan’s relations with the United States are “very solid,” Taiwan’s president said Thursday, hours after President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping did. Talk on the phone On topics including the future of the self-governing island.
“Relations between Taiwan and the United States are very strong, and all cooperation projects will continue without interruption,” Taiwan President Lai Ching-te told reporters during a visit to textile traders in western Taiwan.
These statements came after Xi, in his first call with Trump since November, warned the US President to be “prudent” about supplying weapons to the self-governing island, according to a statement of the call provided by the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
Taiwan is a democratic, self-governing country, which China claims is its own territory, which can be annexed by force if necessary. Beijing prevents all countries with which it maintains diplomatic relations – including the United States – from establishing official relations with Taipei.
However, although the United States does not officially recognize Taiwan as a state, it is the island’s strongest unofficial supporter and arms supplier.
In December, the US State Department announced this The largest arms sales package ever To Taiwan, worth more than $11.1 billion, including missiles, artillery systems, and drones. The package has not yet been approved by Congress.
China has responded angrily to the proposed arms sales Two days of military training around the island in late December, sending air, naval and missile units.
The arms sales also face opposition from Taiwan’s opposition Kuomintang party and some of its residents, along with a proposed increase in defense spending to 3.3% of Taiwan’s gross domestic product.
Lai’s budget plan has been blocked by Taiwan’s opposition-controlled parliament, including… $40 billion private defense budgetHe instead proposed a much smaller defense spending plan.
Trump said the call with Xi was “excellent” and “thorough” in a post late Wednesday on the Truth Social website.
He added that he is looking forward to visiting China next April, which will be his first during his current term.
Trump also said China was considering buying 20 million tons of U.S. soybeans this season, up from 12 million tons the previous season.
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AP Video journalist Johnson Lai contributed to this report.