TAIPEI, Taiwan -- The first-ever meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping is scheduled to take place on Thursday, and the fate of Taiwan could be shaped by it.
Trump will host his counterpart at the Mar-a-Lago estate April 6-7, according to a White House statement.
One of the most important issues expected to be touched upon is North Korea. It would be in the interest of both leaders to find common ground over the threat posed by the country's nuclear program.
Trade and territorial disputes in the South China Sea will be discussed during their meetings on Thursday and Friday as well, according to an interview he gave with the Financial Times.
Another issue, though not one brought up by Trump during the interview, could be of major concern to Taiwan: the two powers' attitude toward the island.
In a backgrounder held at the White House on Tuesday, a White House official told U.S. media that Trump had already reiterated its position on the "One China" policy in accordance with the "Three Communiques" and the Taiwan Relations Act.
The official said that this was a long-standing U.S. policy and that nothing unexpected was foreseen on the issue and no surprising statements on the issue of Taiwan were likely to transpire.
Is Trump Taiwan Friendly?
Not producing surprises on the Taiwan issue may be a challenge for Trump.
After the billionaire won the U.S. presidency late last year, the Taiwan issue was brought to center stage on Dec. 2 by a telephone call between the president-elect and R.O.C. President Tsai Ing-wen, the first of its kind since Washington cut official ties with Taipei in 1979.
Trump further angered China after he suggested that the "One China" policy could be negotiable during a TV interview. Later he retreated, reaffirming the policy in a phone call with Xi.
In February, former American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) chief Stephen Young disclosed that the de facto embassy would be stationing marines at its new office, a move that hinted that the Trump administration was moving closer to Taiwan.
However, it remains to be seen whether these moves that infuriated the Chinese government mean that Trump is friendlier toward Taiwan than his predecessors or that he is using the island as a bargaining chip to gain leverage with China.
The Chinese-language Liberty Times reported last month that former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger had been pushing for a fourth communique to be signed during Trump-Xi meet, by which the U.S. would acknowledge support for the "One China" principle.
The rumors led to Foreign Minister David Lee (李大維) urging the U.S. against inking a new communique.
Multiple sources, both locally and in the U.S., have said that the signing of a four communique is unlikely. However, such rumors do raise alarm and deserve government attention.
William Stanton, another former AIT director, openly issued a warning last month that Trump's unpredictability made him "kind of afraid" of what might happen if Trump meets with Xi.
Asked whether the Trump-Xi meeting would jeopardize Taiwan's interests, Stanton said he was unsure, but that he believed the biggest problem would be Trump's tendency to flip-flop and make conflicting statements, with the "One China" policy issue a case in point.
5 顆 
10 顆 
15 顆 
20 顆