As you've been hearing this morning on NPR, President Trump has had his initial round of meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping. We know how the story is being covered in the U.S., but what's the view from Taiwan this week?
In Taipei this week, the media is watching language.
The language of U.S. diplomacy is nuanced when it comes to Taiwan — as it has been for the nearly 50 years since the United States formally recognized the People's Republic of China.
Certain phrasing is very precise: such as “The United States does not support Taiwanese independence.” But that's very different from saying “The United States 'opposes' Taiwanese independence” — a phrase that several media outlets suggest Beijing is pushing the Trump Administration to adopt.
The articles and columns of the Taipei Times reflect caution about what might be said during Trump's visit to Beijing.
That started before the president left Washington, when he was asked about the decades-long practice of the U.S. selling arms to Taiwan. Trump said, “President Xi would like us not to, and I’ll have that discussion.”
Taiwan's Central News Agency said that “would go against one of the main tenets” of U.S. policy toward China — that the U.S. government would not consult with Beijing about arms sales to Taiwan.
Beyond the language, it's the substance of those arms sales that’s been a continued theme in Taiwan's media in the run-up to this week's summit in Beijing.
Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it remains in “close communication with Washington” to safeguard Taiwan's interests.
