Taiwan keen to avoid becoming a bargaining chip between US and China during Trump’s Asia visit
President Tsai Ing-wen said she will be watching closely when American leader meets China’s President Xi Jinping
Taiwan will be keeping a close eye on US President Donald Trump’s visit to China next month amid concerns it could be used as a bargaining chip by the two global powers.
The island’s President Tsai Ing-wen said she had tasked her government with assessing the impact of Trump’s visit on the complex triangular ties between Washington, Beijing and Taipei, in which each party has a set modus operandi.
“Any adjustment or change to those models will be seen through the interactions of the respective parties,” Tsai was quoted as saying in an interview published yesterday by Taiwan’s semi-official Central News Agency.
“I will observe the interactions between the United States and mainland China, and the overall situation in Asia,” she said.
Trump is expected to meet President Xi Jinping during his first ever presidential visit to Asia from November 3 to 14. Taiwanese media reports have raised concerns that he might use Taiwan to gain concessions from Beijing on thorny issues such as trade, regional security and North Korea.
