Taiwan says US ties remain “rock-solid” after Xi–Trump talks

Relations between Taiwan and the US remain “rock-solid,” and existing cooperation programs will continue without change, Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te said on February 5 following discussions between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump.

During a phone call on Wednesday, Xi urged Trump to “carefully” manage US arms sales to Taiwan, which Beijing considers its own territory, as per foreign media reports.

Speaking to reporters in central Taiwan, Lai emphasised that communication channels between Taipei and Washington remain strong.

“Taiwan–US relations are rock-solid; all cooperation programmes will continue and will not change,” Lai said, adding that US commitments to Taiwan also remain unchanged. He further stressed that Taiwan is not part of the People’s Republic of China, a reality he said has not changed either.

The US, like most countries, does not maintain formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan but remains the island’s most important international supporter and is legally required to provide it with the means to defend itself.

In December, the Trump administration announced arms sales to Taiwan worth $11.1 billion, marking the largest weapons package the US has ever approved for the island.

China has refused to engage in dialogue with Lai and accuses him of promoting Taiwan’s independence. Lai has repeatedly said that only the people of Taiwan have the right to determine the island’s future.

Taiwan’s current political status dates back to 1949, when the Chinese Civil War ended with the defeated Kuomintang forces, led by Chiang Kai-shek, retreating to the island. Formal relations between Beijing and Taipei were cut off at that time, although informal trade and communication resumed in the late 1980s.

Since the early 1990s, the two sides have maintained dialogue through non-governmental bodies, including the Beijing-based Association for the Development of Relations Across the Taiwan Strait and the Taipei-based Cross-Strait Exchange Foundation.

By Tamilla Hasanova