Written by Michael Martina and David Brunnstrom
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Five sources told Reuters that two senior members of Taiwan's government are in the United States to meet with people connected to President-elect Donald Trump's transition team, in an effort by Taiwan to establish relations with the next administration.
Lin Fei-fan and Hsu Su-hsin, deputy secretary-generals of Taiwan's National Security Council, and several of their staff, traveled to the Washington area for meetings this week, the sources said, requesting anonymity.
Reuters was unable to confirm who from the American side would join the meetings or the agenda.
Taiwan's actual embassy in Washington, the Chinese embassy, and Trump's transition team did not respond to requests for comment.
Lin and Hsu's visit comes as the Chinese military has intensified its activity near the Taiwan Strait, in what Taiwan has described as Beijing's efforts to set a “red line” for the incoming Trump administration and US allies.
One source said the meetings were with individuals in Trump's transition circles but would not include candidates for senior positions in the next Trump administration, given sensitivity in Beijing over any talks between Taiwanese and American officials.
A second source said the meetings were taking place with “Republicans likely to hold mid-level political positions” in the Trump administration. A third source said it was “safe to say” that Lin and Hsu met with the Trump transition team.
The United States does not have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, an autonomous island that China claims as its territory. Taiwan rejects Beijing's claims of sovereignty, saying only the island's people can decide their future.
Hope and anxiety in Taiwan
Trump's victory in the presidential election in November raised hope in Taipei that he would take a tough line on China, but it also raised concern given his comments that the island should pay the United States for its defense.
Trump has appointed several China hawks to key positions in his incoming administration, including Senator Marco Rubio as Secretary of State, who has called for unfettered interaction between US and Taiwanese officials.
The nominations were encouraging for Taipei, which Reuters reported may make major new arms deals to show it takes seriously Trump's comments that Taiwan should pay “protection” money to the United States.
Communication so far between Taiwan and the incoming administration appears to fall into a gray area of informal communication and has been quiet. This is a departure from the period leading up to Trump's first term, when in December 2016, the month before his inauguration, he made a phone call with then-President of Taiwan Tsai Ing-wen.
That call was the first time since 1979 that an elected US president spoke with the island's president, a move that angered China.
Ahead of his second inauguration scheduled for January 20, CBS News reported on Wednesday that Trump invited Xi to the event, something that would be unprecedented for a Chinese leader.
The president-elect's camp and China did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report, but Trump said in an interview with NBC News last Friday that he “gets along very well” with Xi and that they “have had communication.” As recently as this week.”
