Taiwan Suggests Trump Find Another Bargaining Chip

President Lai Ching-te responded Sunday to President Trump's mention that arms sales to Taiwan make a "very good negotiating chip" in US dealings with China, suggesting that's a role Lai's people are not interested in playing. A Facebook post pledged that Taiwan "will absolutely not be sacrificed or traded" and will not surrender its sovereignty or democracy, Reuters reports. The meeting in Beijing last week between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping has stirred worries in Taipei about the strength of US support, on maintaining arms sales in particular.

Lai acknowledged that people in Taiwan are "very concerned" about what was discussed in China. He said Taipei would not initiate or intensify tensions but called China the main source of regional instability. US arms sales to Taiwan and security cooperation between the two sides are not only governed by law but also a catalyst for regional peace and stability, Lai's statement, per the AP. "We thank President Trump for his continued support for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait since his first term, including the continuous increase in the scale and amount of arms sales to Taiwan," he said.