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03/29/2024 09:02:11 am

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Donald Trump Leaves Door Wide Open over Possible Meeting with Taiwan’s Tsai

Trump Does not Rule Out Meeting with Tsai.

(Photo : Getty Images) "We'll see," Trump replied when asked if he and Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen are going to meet in the US.

US President-elect Donald Trump did not rule out the possibility of meeting Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, if at all the self-ruled island nation's leader visits the United States after Trump's official coronation on Jan. 20.

The republican's latest overture comes barely weeks after he broke diplomatic protocol by accepting a phone call from the Taiwanese president, leaving Chinese leadership completely miffed.          

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Talking to reporters on New Year's Eve celebration at his Mar-a-Lago estate, Trump said, "We'll see," when enquired whether he would meet Tsai after assuming office in January.

Trump's short and sweet reply is apparently seen as an indication that the unlikely meeting between two leader's may very well take place. If it does take place, then it would be the first meeting between the US president and Taiwanese president since America's official recognition of "One China" policy in 1979.   

However, Trump has categorically stated that he would not meet any foreign leaders while Obama still in the office. The outspoken Republican cited 'diplomatic protocol' as the reason behind this decision.

This means that the real estate tycoon would not be meeting Tsai during her transit stopover at the US in the coming week. The Taiwanese leader is scheduled to make transit in Houston on Jan. 7 and again in San Francisco on Jan. 13 during her week-long South American tour.

The Chinese government has already sent a warning to the US government that it should not offer transit stopover to the Taiwanese leader.

Meanwhile, Tsai on Saturday accused China of 'intimidation' and 'coercion', signifying the deteriorating cross-strait relations.

China and Taiwan have been on a crossroads ever since Tsai, widely hailed as a pro-independent leader, took charge of the self-ruled island's leadership on May 20.