Trump's Taiwan gamble

U.S. President Donald Trump’s suggestion that U.S. arms sales to Taiwan could become a bargaining chip in negotiations with China has sent a tremor through the strategic architecture of East Asia. Speaking after his summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump said they had discussed Taiwan “in great detail,” particularly the issue of weapons sales, and that he would “make a decision soon.” In doing so, he signaled that one of the most sensitive pillars of U.S. policy in Asia may no longer be governed by principle, but by transaction. For decades, the United States maintained a carefully calibrated approach toward Taiwan. After normalizing relations with Beijing in 1979, Washington terminated its formal defense treaty with Taipei but enacted the Taiwan Relations Act, committing itself to provide Taiwan with defensive capabilities. In 1982, the Reagan administration further reassured Taipei through the “Six Assurances,” including a pledge not to consult Beijing in advance regarding arms sales to Taiwan. Together with the longstanding policy of “strategic ambiguity,