Taiwan president affirms 'rock solid' US ties after Trump-Xi call

Thursday 05 February 2026 - 14:40

By: Dakir Madiha

Taiwan president affirms 'rock solid' US ties after Trump-Xi call

Chinese President Xi Jinping told U.S. President Donald Trump during a Wednesday phone call that Taiwan stands as "the most important issue" in China-U.S. relations and urged Washington to handle arms sales to the island "with prudence," according to a Chinese Foreign Ministry readout.

Trump called the discussion "excellent" and "in-depth" on Truth Social. It came hours after Xi's video call with Russian President Vladimir Putin—their first since November 2025—and ahead of Trump's planned April visit to China.

Xi's warning follows the U.S. State Department's December approval of its largest-ever arms sale to Taiwan, worth over $11.1 billion, including HIMARS rocket systems, ATACMS missiles, howitzers, and drones. Beijing responded with two days of military drills around the island late December, dubbed "Justice Mission-2025" by China's army.

"Taiwan is Chinese territory, and China must defend its own sovereignty and territorial integrity, never allowing Taiwan to be separated," Xi told Trump, per the Chinese account. Trump replied he "understands China's feelings on the Taiwan issue" and wants to keep U.S.-China relations "in good shape" during his presidency.

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te quickly reassured on ties with Washington. "Taiwan-U.S. relations are rock solid, and all cooperation projects will proceed uninterrupted," Lai told reporters Thursday during a visit to textile merchants in western Taiwan. He added U.S. commitments to Taiwan remain "constant."

The self-governing democracy, which Beijing claims as its territory and vows to annex by force if needed, receives its strongest informal backing and main arms supply from the U.S., despite no formal recognition as a country.

Beyond Taiwan, Trump said the leaders discussed the Ukraine war, Iran situation, and potential boosts to Chinese purchases of U.S. goods, including raising soybean imports to 20 million tons for the current season. The Chinese readout omits Trump's April Beijing visit but states 2026 should be "a year for the two major powers to move toward mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation."