After finishing the U.S.-China summit, U.S. President Donald Trump said arms sales to Taiwan are "a good bargaining chip," adding the United States may or may not sell.
In an interview with Fox News that aired on the 15th, local time, President Trump was asked whether he would approve additional arms sales to Taiwan and said, "I have not approved it yet," adding, "I may approve it, or I may not."
He said he is "temporarily holding" approval of arms sales to Taiwan and that "it depends on China," adding, "It is a very good bargaining chip for us. $12 billion (17.9 trillion won) worth of arms."
In the interview, Trump noted the military and geographic gap between Taiwan and China, saying, "China is a very powerful great power, and Taiwan is a very small island," adding that Taiwan is about 95 kilometers from mainland China and the United States is about 15,000 kilometers away.
He emphasized that he prefers the "status quo" for Taiwan and does not want war. He added, "I don't want a situation where someone says, 'The United States supports us, so let's declare independence.'"
He also claimed, "During my term, I don't think China will take any action, but when I'm not there, it could attack Taiwan."
By contrast, he said he hopes the semiconductor industry in Taiwan will move to the United States. Trump said, "I would like all Taiwanese semiconductor manufacturers to come to the United States," adding, "I want the United States to account for 40% to 50% of the semiconductor industry."
He also argued that previous administrations did not impose tariffs on Taiwanese semiconductors, allowing the industry to grow, saying, "They stole our semiconductor industry."
Meanwhile, according to Reuters and other foreign media, Trump told reporters aboard his plane on the way home that he had discussed arms sales to Taiwan "in great detail with Chinese President Xi Jinping." This prompted interpretations that the United States may be hinting at changing its "Taiwan policy" maintained for 44 years.
The interview was conducted the day after Trump held a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. Trump returned to the White House on the afternoon of the 15th after a three-day, two-night state visit to China.