Ukraine Races to Counter Russia’s Faster Jet-Powered Drones 
Trump Eyes End to Iran War, Plans Gulf Leaders Meeting 
Saudi Arabia Raises Security Alerts as Houthi Attacks Threaten Oil Routes 
Lula, Flavio Bolsonaro Deadlocked in Brazil Election Polls 
Global Poll Shows Rising Trust in Institutions as US-China Leadership Support Falls 
Ukraine Tests New Anti-Drone Weapon After Successful Shahed Intercept 
Vietnam, U.S. Firms Plan 29 Deals Across Energy, Tech and Aviation 
South Korea’s Cho Hyun to Meet Rubio in Washington 
Rodrigo Duterte Makes First Public Appearance at ICC in 18 Months 
Banking scandal rocks Brazil’s politics and the country’s presidential election in October 
Judge Blocks Trump Rule Limiting Foreign Student Visas 
Guterres Urges Stronger Global AI Safeguards Ahead of UN Assembly 
Kim Jong Un Pledges Deeper Russia Cooperation 
Australia Tightens Student Visa Rules, Targets Migration Cut by 2028 
US Officials Meet Houthis in Oman Amid Yemen Offensive 
Ovechkin Faces Scrutiny Over United Russia Campaign Video 
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Expected at Trump-Xi State Dinner 
Add as a preferred source on Google
Taiwan Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung said on Monday that a potential phone call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Taiwan President Lai Ching-te would be welcomed by Taipei, though any initiative depends entirely on Trump. The remarks come amid growing attention over future U.S.-Taiwan relations and rising tensions between Washington and Beijing.
Speaking during a parliamentary session, Lin stated that Taiwan views the possibility of direct communication between the two leaders as a positive development. However, he confirmed there have been no formal planning discussions or bilateral consultations regarding such a call.
A direct conversation between a sitting U.S. president and a Taiwanese leader would be historically significant. Since the United States shifted diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979, no U.S. and Taiwanese presidents have spoken directly. China considers Taiwan part of its territory and strongly opposes official interactions between Taipei and Washington.
Trump recently repeated that he plans to speak with President Lai, reinforcing comments he first made after meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping earlier this month. His statement fueled speculation about a possible shift in U.S. policy toward Taiwan.
President Lai previously said that if given the opportunity to speak with Trump, he would emphasize that China is threatening regional peace and that no country has the right to annex Taiwan. Beijing has repeatedly labeled Lai a separatist, while Taiwan continues to reject China’s sovereignty claims.
The issue also carries strategic importance due to a proposed $14 billion U.S. arms package for Taiwan, which Trump has not yet approved. In December, Washington authorized $11 billion in military sales to Taiwan, marking the largest arms deal so far.
Despite the discussion surrounding a possible Trump-Lai call, both Washington and Taipei insist that longstanding U.S. policy toward Taiwan remains unchanged.
