U.S., Japan Test Xi With Taiwan Outreach Ahead of Trump Summit

by Dramelin 9:30 PM 0 comments

The U.
S.
and Japan are taking steps toward upgrading ties with Taiwan, risking a run-in with China as Donald Trump and Xi Jinping prepare for a first meeting in Florida next week.
Taiwanese foreign ministry spokeswoman Eleanor Wang said in a text message Tuesday that the island had a ?solid friendship? with the U.
S.
and expected to be in close contact with Washington before and after any Xi summit.
Getting Trump to reaffirm past policies on Taiwan would be a priority for Xi in any summit, Huang Jing, a professor of U.
S.
-China relations at the National University of Singapore, told Bloomberg Television on Monday.
?Xi Jinping is taking a high risk to meet Donald Trump,? Huang said.
The U.
S.
and Japan -- security allies with their own concerns about China?s growing might -- have shown a willingness to oblige.