China may try ‘manoeuvring’ over Taiwan issue at Trump meeting, Taiwanese official says

TAIPEI - China may try some “manoeuvring” over the Taiwan issue when US President Donald Trump visits Beijing next week, but the US has reaffirmed that its policy on the island has not changed, a top Taiwanese intelligence official said on May 7.

China claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory and regularly describes it as the most sensitive and important issue in its relations with Washington. Taiwan’s government rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims.

Taipei will be watching for any sign that Mr Trump, who has unnerved partners with his transactional approach to alliances, could soften or reframe longstanding US policy on Taiwan in return for China buying American aircraft or agricultural goods and easing economic pressures.

Speaking to reporters at Parliament in Taipei, National Security Bureau Director-General Tsai Ming-yen said the key focus of Mr Trump's summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping was likely to be management of their issues, “not fundamental problem-solving”.

“As for the Taiwan issue, I believe the Chinese communists may attempt some manoeuvring during the talks,” Mr Tsai said.

“However, on this point, the United States has continuously reaffirmed through both public and private channels that its Taiwan policy has not changed.”

Taiwan is likely to be a topic of conversation between Mr Trump and Mr Xi, but both countries understand it is in neither of their interests to see any “destabilising events” occur with regard to Taiwan, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said this week.

Mr Tsai said there were many contentious issues between China and the US that are difficult to fundamentally resolve in the short term.

“Our assessment of the overall US-China situation is that it will likely present what might be described as a fragile stability,” he added.

Speaking later on May 7, Mr Liang Wen-chieh, spokesperson for Taiwan’s China-policy-making Mainland Affairs Council, said China “very much wants” to discuss Taiwan at the summit, even if the US does not really want to.

“It appears that the Taiwan issue will come up, but the hope is that it will not go beyond manageable bounds and will not have an adverse impact on Taiwan,” he added.

The US is Taiwan’s most important international backer and is bound by law to provide the island with the means to defend itself, despite a lack of formal diplomatic ties. REUTERS