Trump call with Taiwan’s Lai not yet planned

The U.S. and Taiwan have not yet made concrete plans for talks between their presidents, four people familiar with the matter said, despite U.S. President Donald Trump's suggestion he might speak soon with Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te about the island’s defenses.



A call between the two leaders would be unprecedented and risks roiling Washington’s ties with Beijing, which views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory. U.S. and Taiwanese presidents have not spoken directly since Washington shifted diplomatic recognition to Beijing from Taipei in 1979.



Trump said again on Wednesday he would speak with Lai, dispelling initial speculation that his first mention of it after meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping last week was a verbal slip.



Trump’s initial comments about the call sparked surprise among officials in Washington and Taipei, according to two of the people familiar with the matter.