The Donald Trump administration made no mention of Taiwan during its recent meeting with Xi Jinping, the President of China. This meeting took place while the situation in Taiwan has always been one of the sensitive and contentious points in China-U.S. relations.
Trump's Remarks on Shared History
During this meeting, Trump welcomed Xi at the airport and referred to the strong friendship between the two countries. He discussed the cooperation between the two nations during World War II and said: "Look at the greatness we had together in World War II." He also referenced the role of American pilots who went there to assist China.
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It is worth mentioning that these pilots assisted the Republic of China, which was relocated to Taiwan after the communist victory in the Chinese Civil War in 1949, and not the People's Republic of China currently led by Xi Jinping.
Economic and Military Impacts
Since the end of World War II, Taiwan has always been a challenging issue in relations between Beijing and Washington. While the U.S. acknowledged the "One China" principle in 1972, the Taiwan Relations Act was also passed in 1979, which helped to legalize arms exports to Taiwan. This law allows the United States to take military action if the status quo in the Taiwan Strait changes.
Analysts believe that any potential conflict between China and Taiwan would not only destabilize the Asia-Pacific region but could also plunge the global economy into a prolonged recession. According to William Yang, an analyst of international crises, China conveyed a clear message to Trump during this meeting regarding its opposition to any U.S. military support for Taiwan.
On the other hand, Trump also made no mention of Taiwan during this meeting and suspended a $14 billion arms deal with the Taiwanese government in May 2023. This agreement is still under review, and analysts predict that the delivery of weapons to Taiwan will take time.
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