Trump moots talks with Taiwan's leader in departure from protocol

Trump says he will speak to Taiwan's leader about arms sales7 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleKoh EweGetty ImagesTrump hailed his relationship with China's President Xi as "amazing"US President Donald Trump says he will talk to Taiwanese leader Lai Ching-te about a possible arms sale, in what would be a sharp departure from diplomatic tradition. US and Taiwanese leaders have not spoken directly since 1979 - when Washington severed formal ties with Taiwan to recognise the Beijing government. Beijing claims Taiwan as its territory and has not ruled out taking it by force. Lai, who took office in 2024, is behind one of the strongest pushes in years to strengthen the island's defence.The US has long supported Taiwan and is bound by law to provide it with a means of self-defence, but has had to balance this with maintaining a diplomatic relationship with China.When asked on Wednesday if he planned to speak to Lai ahead of making a decision on US arms sales, Trump said: "I'll speak to him. I speak to everybody.. we'll work on that, the Taiwan problem."He also hailed his relationship with China's President Xi as "amazing", on the back of a two-day summit in Beijing last week. In 1979, the US passed the Taiwan Relations Act which states that the US can "provide Taiwan with arms of a defensive character" - which is why it continues to sell weapons to Taiwan.The potential $14bn (£10.4bn) arms package to Taiwan reportedly includes anti-drone equipment and air-defense missile systems. Trump has said he has yet to decide if the sale will go ahead.According to a report by the Financial Times, Beijing is currently holding up a proposed visit by the Pentagon's top policy official, Elbridge Colby - saying it cannot approve a visit until Trump decides how he will proceed with the arms deal. Last week, while flying back from Beijing on Air Force One after his meeting with President Xi, Trump was s...