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Representative Office of Taiwan in Hargeisa, Somaliland
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Trump Backs Off Pre-Xi Call With Taiwan Leader As Arms Sale Weighed

Written by TNNBot on

On May 29, 2026, Donald Trump is no longer expected to speak with Taiwan President Lai Ching-te before a possible fall visit by Chinese leader Xi Jinping to the U.S.[1]

Trump had said in mid-May he would speak with Lai before deciding on a pending $14 billion defensive arms package for Taiwan.[1] The sale has been under consideration since January and awaits Secretary of State Marco Rubio's signature.[1]

No sitting U.S. president has directly spoken with a Taiwanese leader since 1979.[1] Trump only previously spoke with then-President Tsai Ing-wen as president-elect in December 2016.[1] The last U.S. Taiwan arms sale, worth $11 billion, was announced in December 2025.[1] Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao told Congress earlier this month the new Taiwan sale was paused over munitions needs for Iran operations, though another source later said the delay was unrelated to Iran.[1]

How the decision on the $14 billion package and any presidential outreach will shape U.S.-China-Taiwan diplomacy ahead of a possible Xi visit remains a central question.

  1. CBSNews
U.S. Foreign Policy China–Taiwan Relations
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📌 Key Facts

  • Multiple sources say on May 29, 2026 that Trump is no longer expected to speak with Taiwan President Lai Ching-te before a possible Xi Jinping U.S. visit this fall.
  • Trump had said in mid-May 2026 that he would talk to Lai before deciding on a pending $14 billion defensive arms package for Taiwan.
  • No sitting U.S. president has directly spoken with a Taiwanese leader since 1979; Trump only previously spoke with then-President Tsai Ing-wen as president-elect in December 2016.
  • The last U.S. Taiwan arms sale, worth $11 billion, was announced in December 2025; the new $14 billion sale has been under consideration since January 2026 and awaits Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s signature.
  • Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao told Congress earlier this month the Taiwan sale was paused over munitions needs for Iran operations, but another source later said the delay was unrelated to Iran.

📰 Source Timeline (1)

Follow how coverage of this story developed over time

May 29, 2026
11:29 PM
Trump call with Taiwanese president on hold
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