On February 16, a fortnight before the outbreak of the Iran war, U.S. President Donald Trump publicly acknowledged having a “good conversation” with Chinese President Xi Jinping about a forthcoming U.S. arms package for Taiwan.
This statement came a few weeks after the Chinese president condemned a previous package, demanding that Washington act with “extreme caution” and emphasizing that Taiwan was the key to stable Sino-American relations.
Many have criticized Trump’s remarks as a worrying sign of abandonment of Taipei ahead of a planned visit to China. Their concerns have deepened since Washington and Israel launched a new war on Iran in late February, which could divert U.S. attention away from the Asia-Pacific and deplete its missile interceptors and other advanced weapon systems.
However, Trump’s statement is less alarming than naysayers suggest and could help stabilize cross-Strait relations. Critics argue that his consultation with Xi broke with a non-binding tradition established in 1982 to reassure Taiwan. The concern is that Trump might be making future arms sales to Taiwan contingent on Beijing’s approval.
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