Would be happy to talk to U.S. President Donald Trump: Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te

Key points

• Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te said on Thursday (May 21, 2026) that he would be "happy" to talk to U.S. President Donald Trump, a conversation that would break more than four decades of diplomatic protocol and risk angering China.
• Trump told reporters on Wednesday (May 20, 2026) that he would speak to Mr. Lai, as the White House weighs arms sales to the democratic island.
• It was the second time since a summit in Beijing last week that Mr. Trump has said he would call the Taiwanese leader.
• Such communication would be the first time since Washington switched diplomatic relations from Taipei to Beijing in 1979 that serving Presidents of Taiwan and the United States would speak to each other.
• Also Read: Taiwan would ‘welcome’ its President speaking to Trump, Taiwanese Minister says Lai said Taiwan was "committed to maintaining the stable status quo in the Taiwan Strait" and that "China...