Taiwan Seeks Trump Ties: Senior Officials Meet Amid Rising Tensions With China

Two senior Taiwanese officials have travelled to the United States to meet individuals connected to President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team, sources revealed. The meetings aim to strengthen ties between Taipei and the incoming administration as geopolitical tensions with China escalate.

Lin Fei-fan and Hsu Szu-chien, deputy secretaries-general of Taiwan’s National Security Council, are in the Washington area this week with their staff for discussions, according to five sources who spoke on condition of anonymity. While the agenda and US participants remain unconfirmed, the sources suggested the meetings involve Republicans likely to hold mid-tier positions in the Trump administration.

Taiwan’s presidential office described the visit as routine and declined to comment further. The Trump transition team and China’s embassy have not responded to requests for statements.

The visit comes as Beijing intensifies military activities near the Taiwan Strait, which Taipei interprets as an effort to set boundaries for the incoming US administration. Chinese military maneuvers have coincided with rising concern over how Trump’s policies might reshape US-China-Taiwan relations.

The sources indicated that Lin and Hsu’s meetings are informal and exclude top Trump administration nominees to avoid provoking Beijing. One source noted the discussions are with “old friends,” while another described the meetings as part of Taiwan’s strategy to connect with key figures in US politics.

Trump’s election win has generated mixed reactions in Taiwan. While some hope for a tougher US stance on China, there is anxiety over Trump’s comments suggesting Taiwan should pay more for US defense support. Taipei has shown interest in pursuing new arms deals as a gesture of commitment to defense readiness under Trump’s presidency.

Trump’s previous outreach to Taiwan stirred controversy, including a historic phone call with Taiwan’s then-President Tsai Ing-wen in December 2016. That call marked the first direct communication between a US president-elect and Taiwan’s leader since 1979, angering Beijing.

As Trump prepares for his second inauguration on January 20, reports suggest he has extended an invitation to Chinese President Xi Jinping a gesture that could redefine US-China diplomacy. Both Trump’s camp and Beijing have yet to confirm the report, but the president-elect recently emphasized his positive rapport with Xi.