Trump Ready to Take This Bold Step; China Could Be Furious
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - US President Donald Trump is reportedly set to speak directly with Taiwan President Lai Ching-te in a move unseen before by a White House leader. The plan to directly communicate could seriously damage diplomatic ties between Washington and Beijing, given China claims the democratic island as part of its sovereign territory.
Quoting The Guardian on Wednesday, 20 May 2026, President Donald Trump conveyed the plan to reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland before boarding Air Force One.
This signal marks a second insistence in a week that the president intends to contact Taiwan, while dismissing speculation that such remarks after meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping last week were a slip of the tongue.
“I will speak with him,” President Donald Trump said when asked about his planned communication with President Lai Ching-te.
“I speak to everyone; we will resolve the issue, the Taiwan issue,” Trump added.
In response, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday morning said President Lai would be very pleased to speak with the leader of the superpower. As a historical note, the U.S. president and Taiwan have not spoken directly since Washington shifted diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979.
Nevertheless, Trump, known for breaking diplomatic conventions, has previously telephoned Taiwan’s president Tsai Ing-wen when he was elected president at the end of 2016.
That bold move drew immediate condemnation from China and led to an official protest note to the U.S. government for violating the One China policy.
As of now, the official schedule of a phone call between the two leaders has not appeared on the agenda, and the White House or the Chinese Embassy in Washington have not given official comments.
Several officials in Trump’s administration noted that the president had actually approved more weapon sales to Taiwan than other U.S. presidents, though he also regards future weapons sales as a very good negotiating chip.
Uncertainty over U.S. defence commitments has risen after Trump admitted he had not decided whether to proceed with a large-scale weapons sale worth US$14 billion to Taiwan following his visit to Beijing last week.
To press Washington, Beijing was even reported to be withholding approval for the planned summer visit of U.S. Deputy Defence Secretary Elbridge Colby to China until Trump makes a final decision on the fate of the weapon sale.
On the other hand, using the term “Taiwan issue” by Trump is seen as sending a confusing signal to Taipei because the phrase is identical to political language often promoted by Beijing. President Lai Ching-te, who is portrayed as a separatist by China, said that if the opportunity to speak with Trump materialises, he will convey his commitment to maintaining the status quo in the Taiwan Strait.
“No country has the right to annex Taiwan. The people of Taiwan pursue a democratic and free way of life, and democracy and freedom must not be seen as provocation,” said President Lai Ching-te.
Under US domestic law, Washington is obliged to provide means for Taiwan to defend itself against potential external military aggression.
The urgency of this protection is increasingly crucial for the US economy, given Taiwan is the United States’ fourth-largest trading partner and a major supplier of advanced microchips driving the global digital economy.