U.S. allies are rattled by seeing Trump going wobbly on his position on a critical defense deal for a tense region.
Axios reported on Friday that Trump told Chinese leader Xi Jinping that “he’s unsure whether he would greenlight a planned $14 billion weapons package for Taiwan.”
Axios noted that Trump’s cold feet have “alarmed” one of the key U.S. allies in the region, Japan. Trump talked to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi aboard Air Force One after the summit.
Takaichi told reporters after the call that, “We exchanged views on issues surrounding China, including the economy and security…and reaffirmed close communication on Indo-Pacific issues,” according to reports.
However, she avoided a question about whether she and Trump spoke about Taiwan, saying only that he “briefed me in detail on the condition that our conversation remain confidential.”
According to Axios, Takaichi has “found her hawkish line on Taiwan increasingly out of step with the U.S. posture,” adding that South Korea and the government in Taipei have also been worried about Trump’s wavering posture on defending the island.
Trump’s uncertainty came despite telling reporters he and Xi discussed Taiwan in “great detail.” Axios noted that the trip to China started with “a warning from Xi” about potential “conflicts” over Taiwan.
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