According to Bloomberg News, Trump made the statement before boarding Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland when asked by reporters if he would have a conversation with President Tsai. "I will talk to him. I talk to everyone," he replied, though he did not specify when the call would take place.
He added, "We are managing that situation very well. I had a great meeting with President Xi," and stated, "We will resolve the Taiwan issue."
However, it remains unclear whether Trump's mention of 'resolving' the issue refers to proceeding with arms sales to Taiwan or holding them off.
The Trump administration has delayed a $14 billion arms package to Taiwan for several months, despite prior approval from Congress in January. Reports indicate that progress on a previously approved $11 billion arms package has also stalled.
During Trump's visit to China from May 14 to 15, President Xi publicly reaffirmed that he would not tolerate U.S. intervention in Taiwan issues. It is reported that the arms sales to Taiwan were also discussed in private meetings.
If Trump and President Tsai speak directly, it could provoke a strong reaction from China. Reuters noted that since the U.S. established diplomatic relations with China in 1979, no sitting U.S. president has spoken directly with a sitting Taiwanese president.
Trump previously spoke with then-President Tsai Ing-wen in December 2016 while he was still president-elect. Although that conversation was informal, the Chinese government strongly protested to the U.S.
Some analysts suggest that Trump's remarks may reflect dissatisfaction and pressure toward Xi. Trump has indicated that he could use U.S. arms sales to Taiwan as a bargaining chip in negotiations following the U.S.-China summit.
Meanwhile, Trump commented positively on Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to China and the China-Russia summit, stating, "President Xi told me he would do that. I think it's a good thing. I get along well with all of them."
He added, "I don't know if their welcome event was as great as mine was when I visited China. I watched it, and I think we were ahead."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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