What Taiwan Says a Trump–Lai Conversation Would Focus On

Accusing China of Undermining Regional Stability

Another central point in Lai’s potential message is that China is responsible for rising tensions in the region.

He has said he would tell Trump that Beijing’s actions—including military pressure and coercion—are undermining peace and creating instability in the Taiwan Strait . Taiwanese leaders often argue that these activities threaten not just Taiwan but broader Indo‑Pacific security.

Defense Spending and “Peace Through Strength”

Lai also plans to highlight Taiwan’s growing defense spending and continued purchases of U.S. weapons.

According to the president, strengthening Taiwan’s defense capabilities is necessary to deter conflict rather than provoke it. He has described U.S. arms purchases as “essential for peace” and part of a broader strategy to maintain stability through credible deterrence .

This framing aligns with Taiwan’s long‑standing argument that stronger defensive capabilities help prevent miscalculation by potential adversaries.

Sovereignty: Taiwan’s Future Cannot Be Decided by Others

A major theme in Lai’s public remarks is Taiwan’s right to self‑determination.

He has said that no country has the right to annex Taiwan and that the island’s future cannot be decided by “external forces” . This position reflects Taipei’s broader stance that Taiwan is already a self‑governing democracy whose political future should be determined by its own people.

Why a Trump–Lai Call Would Be Historically Significant

A direct conversation between a sitting U.S. president and a Taiwanese president would be highly unusual.

The United States switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979, and since then Washington has avoided direct leader‑to‑leader communication with Taiwan’s president in order to manage relations with China .

Although then‑President‑elect Donald Trump spoke by phone with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing‑wen in 2016, that call occurred before Trump took office and therefore did not break the longstanding precedent governing contacts between a sitting U.S. president and Taiwan’s leader .

Because of this diplomatic history, even a brief call between Trump and Lai would carry symbolic weight—signaling how Washington balances its unofficial ties with Taiwan against its formal diplomatic relationship with Beijing.

The Bigger Diplomatic Context

Taiwan’s openness to a Trump–Lai conversation reflects the island’s broader strategy: maintain close communication with the United States, emphasize deterrence and stability, and push back against Beijing’s claims of sovereignty over Taiwan.

Whether such a call ultimately occurs remains uncertain. But the messages Lai has outlined—support for Taiwan Strait stability, warnings about China’s actions, continued defense cooperation with the United States, and Taiwan’s right to determine its own future—highlight the core themes likely to shape any future dialogue between the two leaders.