Lai Ching-te Reaffirms US Relations as 'Rock Solid' After Trump-Xi Discussion

Reuters and Straits Times reported on February 5th that Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te stated that relations between Taiwan and the United States remain 'stable and strong' and will continue all cooperation projects without changes. This comes after Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump discussed Taiwan by phone on February 4th, with President Xi cautioning the US to handle arms sales to Taiwan carefully. Lai told reporters that Taiwan and the US have strong communication channels, emphasizing that their relationship is 'very strong' and that all cooperation projects will continue unchanged. He further noted that while most countries do not have official diplomatic relations with Taiwan, the US remains its most important international supporter, with legal obligations to provide self-defense equipment. In December, the Trump administration announced a massive arms package worth $11.1 billion to Taiwan, the largest such sale in history. China has refused to engage with Lai, calling him a 'separatist', but Lai insisted that only the people of Taiwan can decide the island's future.