Taiwan pleased Trump made no mention of island in readout of Xi call

TAIPEI – Taiwan welcomed US President Donald Trump’s decision not to publicly reference the island after his call with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, describing it as the “best result” for Taipei.

Deputy Foreign Minister Francois Wu Chih-chung said Mr Trump’s silence signalled that Taiwan was not being treated as a bargaining chip in broader US-China talks. “It’s the best result that we are not mentioned, meaning we are not part of the deal,” he said by phone. 

Mr Trump and Mr Xi spoke on Nov 24 for the first time since agreeing to pause their trade dispute in October, covering topics including trade, Taiwan and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. But the US readout of the conversation omitted any mention of Taiwan – a central focus for Mr Xi. The Chinese leader told Mr Trump that the return of Taiwan to China is a key part of the post-World War II international order.

“We understand that Taiwan is China’s core interest, but it is also a core interest for Japan, the United States, and Europe,” Mr Wu said, adding that Taipei maintains “frequent and intensive communication with the US”.

Taiwan has also offered subtle support to Japan amid Tokyo’s growing dispute with China. It has carefully calibrated its response to signal solidarity with Japan without provoking Beijing, even as President Lai Ching-te adopts a more assertive posture towards China.

In recent days, Mr Lai and Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung have posted photos of themselves eating sushi. Mr Lin has also encouraged Taiwanese travellers to visit Japan and buy the nation’s goods – a contrast to the wave of cancellations from China after tensions soared.

Other Taiwanese officials have also spoken out. National Security Council head Joseph Wu accused Beijing of “hegemonism” that “threatens Taiwan, bullies the Philippines and harasses Japan”, according to a post on X. On Nov 24, Deputy Foreign Minister Wu told reporters that “our relations with Japan remain very strong”.

Then on Nov 25 Taiwanese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hsiao Kuang-wei said at a briefing that “China’s repeated authoritarian expansion, as seen in its intimidation and pressure on Taiwan, Japan and neighbouring countries, violates UN principles.”

The approach is intended to show support for Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who drew Beijing’s ire by becoming the first sitting Japanese leader in decades to publicly link a Taiwan Strait crisis to a potential deployment of Japanese troops. Japan is a key US ally in Asia.

“The status quo of Japan contributing to deterring China from using force is in Taipei’s favour,” Mr Drew Thompson, a senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, said on Nov 24. “It’s not good if Japan caves to Beijing’s pressure, but there is no indication that this is happening.”

China has hit back at Ms Takaichi’s comments by suspending imports of Japanese seafood, warning against travel to Japan and freezing approvals for new films. It has also threatened further measures if Ms Takaichi does not retract her remarks. Her refusal so far raises the risk that the diplomatic spat could spiral into a costly economic stand-off.

For Taipei, the stakes are high. Cultivating close ties with Japan is nearly as important as maintaining its security relationship with the US, Taiwan’s main military backer. Japan’s geography – situated just north of Taiwan – means it could play an outsized role in any potential conflict.

Beijing views Taiwan, the self-ruled island of 23 million people about 130km off its coast, as a breakaway province that must eventually be brought under its control, by force if necessary. As Tokyo becomes more vocal about the dangers of Chinese coercion, that stance has offered Taiwan valuable clarity and support.

Chinese pressure

Still, Taipei is wary of stoking tensions with Beijing. China has a record of responding with economic pressure, such as by restricting trade and tourism, with some of those measures still in place. After previous disputes, Beijing halted imports of Taiwanese pineapples, fish and other agricultural products, and curbed tour groups to the island, hitting Taiwan’s farmers and service industries hard.

Beijing has also ramped up military intimidation of Taiwan in recent years, holding several rounds of armed forces maneuvers around the archipelago since Mr Lai took office in May 2024.

That show of force has also unsettled officials in Tokyo. During a visit to a military base near Taiwan on Nov 23, Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi reaffirmed plans to deploy missiles to the island, saying the “deployment can help lower the chance of an armed attack on our country”.

Mr Koizumi added that the ministry was still working on the plan and would share details with the local government and people of Yonaguni island when it is finalized.

Taiwan has sought to deter any potential use of force by deepening its ties with democracies around the world. Earlier in November, Ms Hsiao Bi-khim became the first Taiwanese vice-president since 2002 to visit a European country without formal ties to Taipei, speaking to an alliance of lawmakers in Brussels who advocate a higher line on China.

Days later, former president Tsai Ing-wen warned in Berlin of the dangers posed by the “authoritarian toolkits” of nations, further amplifying Taiwan’s message to European audiences.

Ms Takaichi’s stance linking Taiwan’s and Japan’s security underscores Tokyo’s willingness to help Washington shoulder more responsibility for maintaining peace in the region – echoing Trump’s calls for allies to take greater charge of their own defences, said Mr Sung Wen-Ti, non-resident fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Global China Hub.

“That of course benefits Taiwan,” Mr Sung said. But he cautioned that Taipei would refrain from being too vocal, “lest it creates further complications for Japan.” Bloomberg