Trump unlikely to speak with Taiwan's Lai, no new arms sales as US courts Xi ahead of summit

US President Donald Trump is not expected to hold a phone call with Taiwanese leader Lai Ching-te in the near future, despite previously indicating he would be open to speaking with the person “running” the island, according to a report by the South China Morning Post.

Sources familiar with the matter told the publication that there has been no progress towards arranging such a conversation, with any potential call largely dependent on Trump's willingness to initiate it.

Concerns over Xi-Trump summit

According to the report, US officials are wary that a phone call between Trump and Lai could jeopardise an anticipated summit between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington in September, as well as the easing of tensions achieved between the two leaders in May.

The concerns are rooted in past experience. In late 2016, shortly after winning the presidential election, Trump accepted a congratulatory phone call from Taiwan's then-leader Tsai Ing-wen. The call marked the first direct contact between a US president or president-elect and a Taiwanese leader since 1979.

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Beijing reacted strongly, lodging a diplomatic protest and dismissing the call as a "small trick" orchestrated by Taiwan.

Arms sales also face delays

The report said Washington's cautious approach appears to extend beyond high-level contacts. Multiple sources indicated that no new US arms sales to Taiwan are expected to be announced in the immediate future, although some packages could be approved at a later stage.

When asked about the possibility of a Trump-Lai call, Taiwanese Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung said on Wednesday that while he could not speak on Trump's behalf, Taiwan was prepared for such a conversation at any time.

Lin also downplayed delays in arms sales, describing them as a "technical issue".

Taiwan remains key point of tension

Beijing considers Taiwan part of its territory and has repeatedly stated that it is prepared to use force if necessary to achieve reunification. While most countries, including the United States, do not formally recognise Taiwan as an independent state, Washington opposes any attempt to seize the island by force and remains committed to providing it with defensive weapons.

According to the White House, Trump has invited Xi to visit the United States on September 24. However, the Chinese embassy in Washington has said no date has been finalised, although a meeting in the autumn remains under consideration.

Speaking on the sidelines of the G7 summit in France, Trump referenced the expected meeting, saying: “We have a G2 coming up … you know what the G2 is,” a term he has frequently used to describe the world's two largest economies, the United States and China.

Taiwan expected to feature prominently in talks

Despite efforts to improve relations, Taiwan remains one of the most sensitive issues in US-China ties. Beijing has consistently described the matter as a red line in its relationship with Washington.

One diplomatic source told the publication that Taiwan is expected to feature prominently in upcoming high-level exchanges between the two countries.

Another source familiar with the matter said Beijing appears to have concluded that simply holding out the prospect of future engagement with Washington can be enough to delay US arms sales to Taiwan.