Trump-Xi talks could make Taiwan safer: Visiting U.S. senators

Taipei, March 31 (CNA) A visiting United States senator said Tuesday that a planned meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping is "not necessarily a bad thing for Taiwan," as stronger ties between Washington and Beijing could mean a safer Taipei.

Asked how the U.S. Congress could ensure Taiwan's interests would not be sacrificed during the Trump-Xi meeting, which could take place in May, Republican Senator John Curtis told reporters in Taipei that the proposed high-level talks "should not necessarily be viewed as a bad or fearful development in Taiwan."

"The reason for that is that the stronger the relationship between the United States and China, the more protected Taiwan is," Curtis said.

"If we have a bad relationship with China, it is far more likely that China would act aggressively toward Taiwan. If we have a strong relationship -- if our presidents have open lines of communication and a working relationship -- that increases the likelihood that there will not be aggression from China," he added.

Trump said last week that he would meet Xi in China on May 14-15, after delaying the landmark trip amid the U.S.-Israel war with Iran.

The visit would mark the first trip to China by a sitting U.S. president in nearly 10 years.

Some local opposition politicians and commentators have expressed concern that Taiwan could be used as a bargaining chip during the planned meeting, as both sides attempt to resolve trade tensions.

Meanwhile, when asked about a planned meeting between Kuomintang (KMT) Chairperson Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) and Xi next week, Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen, another co-leader of the Senate delegation, said that dialogue "is a good thing."

However, she added that China should engage in dialogue with leaders across Taiwan's political spectrum.

"If they are going to be talking to one party, then they should be talking to all parties," she said.

Cheng, who heads the main opposition KMT, is scheduled to visit China from April 7-12, during which she is expected to meet Xi, who is also general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

The visit would mark the first meeting between a KMT leader and a CCP leader since then-KMT Chairperson Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) met Xi in Beijing in 2016.

Curtis and Shaheen made their remarks at a press conference in Taipei as they wrapped up a brief two-day visit. Their delegation also included Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV).

In her opening remarks, Shaheen said that in addition to meeting political leaders, the group toured Taiwan's top military research institute, the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST), on Monday.

She said she observed that Taiwan has developed an innovation hub focused on drones and missile defense, which "needs additional resources."

"It's crucial that all parties in Taiwan come together to approve robust supplementary defense spending -- a package that enables not only the purchase of critical American equipment, but also the development of asymmetric capabilities produced here in Taiwan," she said.

All four senators reiterated that Taiwanese lawmakers should swiftly pass a special defense budget bill to fund planned purchases of U.S. weapons systems as well as domestically produced systems for self-defense.