Trump–Xi call prompts cautious response from Taiwan

Taiwan has responded cautiously to a phone call between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平).

Trump said on his Truth Social account that the call, which took place on September 19, had made progress on “trade, fentanyl, the need to bring the war between Russia and Ukraine to an end, and the approval of the TikTok deal.”

He also wrote that he and Xi would “meet at the APEC Summit in South Korea.” Trump added that he “would go to China in the early part of next year,” and Xi “would, likewise, come to the United States at an appropriate time.”

Wang Hung-jen (王宏仁), professor of political science at Taiwan's National Cheng Kung University, told TCN: “The US or Trump may believe that consensus has been reached on the big picture—that an agreement is in place. But based on various post-event reports, it appears that China hasn’t even discussed the details with the US yet.”

“China might still be dragging its feet. The reason for the delay is likely to bind Trump with the details and ultimately see whether concessions to the US can be minimized,” he added.

Alexander Chieh-Chen Huang (黃介正), professor at the Graduate Institute of International Affairs and Strategic Studies at Tamkang University, told TCN that neither Washington nor Beijing intends to drag the (TikTok) matter out for too long, and reaching some form of agreement is only a matter of time. “Both China and the United States are highly experienced in bilateral talks and negotiations, well-versed in each other’s playbooks,” he added.

Huang explained that this disclosure appeared to be managed information. “Any release of the content from such talks is typically coordinated with the other party in advance, to avoid unilateral announcements that could be strongly denied,” he said.



China's response

On September 19, China's state media, "Xinhua News Agency," described the exchange as “pragmatic, positive, and constructive.”

The report quoted Xi saying that “The US should avoid taking unilateral trade restriction measures to prevent undermining the hard-won results achieved through multiple rounds of negotiations between both sides.”

On September 21, China's state media, the "People’s Daily," published a commentary under the pen name Zhong Sheng, titled “China and the US can absolutely achieve mutual success and shared prosperity.” The piece echoed Xinhua News Agency’s report about the Trump–Xi phone call.

The commentary stated that “the US should remove unilateral trade restriction measures to avoid undermining the hard-won outcomes of bilateral consultations.”

Professor Huang interpreted China’s response as “steady and restrained, reflecting an intention to reduce uncertainty, stabilize the situation, and gradually improve the bilateral relationship with the United States.”

Professor Wang noted: “Such state media channels are usually intended to communicate China’s position domestically—to show that China hasn’t made concessions and is not the one initiating this process. It’s meant to convey that the US should change its unilateral behavior. I see this more as an internal propaganda effort.”

Dr. Tang Shao-cheng (湯紹成), President of the Asia Pacific Research Foundation, wrote in an opinion piece for "United Daily News" that “China’s attitude is clearly more cautious.” Tang further stated, “outside observers interpret this ambiguity as part of Beijing’s ‘wait-and-see’ strategy—using time to gain leverage in negotiations and avoid premature concessions during sensitive moments.”

Taiwan still matters

While the content disclosed from the recent Trump–Xi phone call appears to have omitted any mention of the Taiwan issue, Taiwan remains a key element in US–China negotiations.

On September 19, the same day as the Trump–Xi phone call, Reuters published an exclusive report revealing that Taiwan’s top representative in the US had met privately earlier that month with a group of President Trump’s intelligence advisers in Washington, D.C.

That same day, "The Washington Post" also released an exclusive report stating that President Trump had “declined to approve a package of weapons to Taiwan this summer, as he tries to negotiate a trade deal and potential summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.”

On September 20, Presidential Office spokesperson Kuo Ya-hui (郭雅慧), in an interview with local Taiwanese media, said: “We (the Presidential Office) are continuously monitoring, paying attention to, and staying informed about the latest developments in the international situation. As for the future, we will continue to maintain close contact between Taiwan and the United States.”

Professor Huang stated that “Taiwan cannot naively assume that the Trump–Xi meeting completely avoided the Taiwan issue.”

Taiwan’s response was relatively low-profile. Huang said that “Taiwan's cautious response may stem from not yet having received a full briefing from the US regarding the Trump–Xi call and its implications for Taiwan.” As such, he added, “Taiwan has adopted a prudent attitude and refrained from excessive speculation.”

Professor Wang said, "Taiwan can only closely monitor the situation and try to gather information in advance as much as possible.”

As for Taiwan not being mentioned during the call, Wang said it might have positive implications for Taiwan. "It gives Taiwan an opportunity to remind the United States that, in negotiations with China, it is not necessary to accept Beijing’s framing that ‘Taiwan must be mentioned’ every time," he added.

He further stated that using commitments to Taiwan as bargaining chips in negotiations "not only fails to reduce pressure from China, but could also harm the United States’ most important priorities—its economic security and broader national interests."

Taiwan needs an insightful strategy for policy toward US–Taiwan relations

Professor Huang noted that “the principles guiding US policy toward Taiwan are embodied in the Taiwan Relations Act, the Three Joint Communiqués, and the Six Assurances.” These principles, he said, “form a consistent and continuous foundation that is difficult—and unnecessary—to fundamentally alter.” However, “depending on the specific timing and policy needs, Washington’s rhetorical choices and language framing may vary slightly to best serve America's national interests at that moment,” Huang added.

For Taiwan’s policy response, Dr. Tang said, “In the short term, Taiwan needs to strengthen its diplomatic signaling to ensure that its issues remain at the core of US and regional security discussions.” For the mid-term, Taiwan should accelerate the implementation of key arms sales and enhance supply chain resilience to avoid execution delays caused by geopolitical bargaining, he added.