WASHINGTON — China warned Thursday that it is firmly opposed to US engagement with the self-governing island of Taiwan after President Trump floated the possibility of speaking directly with its leader.
On Wednesday, Trump indicated he would have a chat with Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te while weighing whether or not to move forward with a $14 billion arms package to the island.
“China’s opposition to official US exchanges with China’s Taiwan region and US arms to Taiwan remains consistent, clear and firm,” said Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun, urging Washington to “handle the Taiwan question with actual prudence.”
Beijing has long claimed sovereignty over Taiwan, which has its own currency, military, and other features of an independent state. Chinese leader Xi Jinping has vowed to bring the island under his control, by force if necessary.
Under the US “One China” policy, successive administrations have acknowledged Beijing’s claims while taking no position on them.
American presidents typically avoid direct contact with Taiwanese heads of state to avoid alienating the People’s Republic of China. However, Trump has broken that protocol before, having accepted a call from then-Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in December 2016, a move that infuriated Beijing.
“l’ll speak to [Lai]. I speak to everybody. We have that situation very well in hand,” Trump told reporters Wednesday when pressed about the arms sale.
“We’ll work on that, the Taiwan problem.”
Lai, who was elected Taiwanese president in January 2024, has been spearheading one of the island’s most aggressive efforts to build up its defense in years.
Following his visit to China last week, Trump described the arms package as a “great negotiating chip for us” with Beijing. He also ripped Taiwan, alleging that it “stole our chip industry.”
That led to criticism from lawmakers on Capitol Hill, particularly from Democrats.
Trump became the first US president to set foot on Chinese soil since 2017 when he met with Xi for two days last week. He has frequently boasted about his “great relationship” with his Chinese counterpart.
The Post reached out to the White House for comment.
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