TAIPEI, May 25 - A direct telephone conversation between the presidents of the United States and Taiwan would be regarded favorably by Taiwanese officials, but the initiative for such a call rests with U.S. President Donald Trump, Taiwan's foreign minister said on Monday. He also confirmed that no bilateral planning conversations have yet taken place to arrange such a call.
Taking questions from lawmakers in parliament, Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung said Taipei would welcome a head-of-state call but emphasized that the move would be up to President Trump and dependent on whether he decided to proactively pursue it. Lin said that if a call were to occur, preparations and consultations between the two sides would follow.
"If there were a phone call between the heads of state of the United States and Taiwan, I think we would view that very positively," Lin said. "I believe the president's side is well prepared. But of course, this also depends on President Trump and how he might proactively bring it about."
The prospect of direct presidential communication carries diplomatic sensitivity because it would be unprecedented since the United States transferred diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979. A direct call has the potential to unsettle Washington's relations with Beijing, which considers democratically governed Taiwan to be part of its territory.
President Trump reiterated last Wednesday that he would speak with Taiwan President Lai Ching-te, a comment that followed earlier remarks he made after meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping this month. Trump said then that he intended to speak with Lai, and he repeated that intention last week, countering suggestions that his initial mention had been a verbal slip.
President Lai has said that if given the opportunity to speak with Trump, he would tell the U.S. leader that China is undermining peace and that no one has the right to "annex" the island. Lai has not confirmed that any call has been scheduled.
Reports on Friday indicated that neither the United States nor Taiwan had developed concrete plans for presidential talks. The lack of planning talks was confirmed by Lin on Monday, who said consultations would be necessary should a call be arranged.
Another element tied to the broader U.S.-Taiwan relationship is a pending $14 billion arms sale package for Taiwan. President Trump has said he has not yet decided on that package. In December, Washington approved $11 billion in weapons for Taiwan, which was the largest such approval to date.
Both Taipei and Washington have publicly stated that U.S. policy toward Taiwan remains unchanged following the Trump-Xi meeting. The United States is bound by the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself.
President Lai, who rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims over Taiwan, has repeatedly offered to hold talks with China but said he has been rebuffed. Beijing labels Lai a "separatist."
Analyst note: The situation remains fluid: a presidential call would depend on a U.S. decision to proceed, and, as of now, no planning discussions have taken place between Washington and Taipei. Key related matters include the undecided $14 billion arms package and the diplomatic sensitivities with Beijing.