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Trump keeps the door open to a call with Taiwan’s president even though China has warned against it
The president says a call remains possible as he weighs a $14 billion arms package that Congress approved in January.
On Friday, President Donald Trump indicated he may still speak with Taiwan President Lai Ching-te, despite Beijing urging him to avoid direct engagement with the leader of the self-ruled island.
Trump first raised the prospect last month, describing a potential $14 billion arms sale for Taipei as a "negotiating chip" in his administration's approach to Pacific policy.
The second of the Six Assurances states the United States "did not agree to consult with the People" of China regarding arms sales, a principle guiding relations since 1982.
According to Edgard Kagan, a former United States ambassador to Malaysia and senior State Department official, bypassing a call could allow Trump to advance the arms package while minimizing Beijing's response.
Craig Singleton, a China expert at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, noted that the president's rhetoric has created "more ambiguity than Taipei would like" regarding the United States-Taiwan relationship.