Trump Plans Call With Taiwan President Ahead of $14 Billion Arms Sale

President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he plans to speak directly with Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, a move that would break decades of diplomatic precedent and is likely to provoke a strong reaction from China. The announcement came shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin concluded a state visit to Beijing, where he and Chinese President Xi Jinping signed dozens of new cooperation agreements, reinforcing their strategic alignment.

Trump stated he would speak to Lai when asked by reporters at Joint Base Andrews about a pending $14 billion arms sale to Taiwan. He said the situation was well in hand and referred to the region's tensions as the "Taiwan problem." Taiwan's foreign ministry later stated it would be happy to take the call. Direct communication between U.S. and Taiwanese presidents has been practically nonexistent since the U.S. shifted diplomatic recognition to Beijing in 1979.

The potential call is linked to a major arms package for Taiwan, which includes Patriot and NASAMS interceptor missiles. A White House official confirmed Trump would make a determination on the sale in a fairly short time. During a recent visit to Beijing, Xi reportedly...