U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he intends to speak with Taiwan President Lai Ching-te, an unprecedented move that could further strain already tense relations between Washington and Beijing.
U.S. and Taiwanese presidents have not spoken directly since Washington shifted diplomatic recognition to Beijing from Taipei in 1979.
Beijing has never renounced the use of force to take control of the democratically governed island. It has been angered by longstanding U.S. military support for Taiwan to deter Chinese military action.
"I'll speak to him," Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland before boarding Air Force One when asked about Lai. "I speak to everybody... We'll work on that, the Taiwan problem."
It's the second time in a week Trump has said he intends to speak to Lai, dispelling initial speculation that his first mention of it after meeting China's leader Xi Jinping last week was a verbal slip.
