Trump ties Taiwan arms sales to China talks

U.S. President Donald Trump said U.S. arms sales to Taiwan could hinge on China’s position, framing the issue as a potential bargaining lever in broader negotiations with Beijing.

In a Fox News interview aired Friday, Trump said approvals for additional weapons sales to Taiwan “could go either way,” adding that it “depends on China” and describing it as a “very good negotiating chip.” The remarks have fueled renewed scrutiny over whether Washington’s approach to Taiwan security policy is shifting.

Speaking aboard Air Force One on his return from China to the United States, Trump said he had discussed Taiwan arms sales “in detail” with Chinese President Xi Jinping. When asked whether such discussions conflicted with the 1982 Six Assurances policy under former President Ronald Reagan, which states that the United States would not consult China on arms sales to Taiwan, Trump pushed back, saying “the 1980s were a long time ago.”

Trump also voiced skepticism about Taiwan’s political trajectory, saying in the interview that “we don’t want somebody declaring independence and us going 9,500 miles to go to war with China.”

He also accused Taiwan of exploiting the U.S. semiconductor industry, saying, “They stole our chip business for years.” He added that he would like Taiwanese chipmakers to relocate to the United States, expressing hope that by the end of his term, “I hope 40 to 50 percent of the world’s semiconductor industry will be in the United States.”


Chul-Jung Kim tnf@donga.com