U.S. President Donald Trump has reignited cross-strait tensions by saying he could use arms sales to Taiwan as a bargaining chip in negotiations with China. At the same time, he openly displayed his ambition in the semiconductor hegemony race by raising the need for Taiwanese chipmakers to relocate to the United States.
In a Fox News interview aired Saturday (local time), Trump said he had "not yet approved" additional arms sales to Taiwan, adding, "I may or may not."
"I'm holding it up right now, and it depends on China," he said. "The $12 billion arms sale is a very good bargaining chip for the United States."
He continued, "China is a very powerful, big country, and Taiwan is a very small island. Taiwan is about 95 kilometers from mainland China, but the United States is more than 15,000 kilometers away." The remark is interpreted as reflecting his sense of burden over direct U.S. military intervention.
Trump also stressed that maintaining the status quo in the Taiwan Strait is his basic position. "I don't want a situation where someone says, 'Let's declare independence because the U.S. is backing us,'" he said, effectively drawing a line against any move toward Taiwanese independence.
"I don't think China will act while I'm in office," he said, while also claiming, "When I'm not there, there's a possibility they could attack."
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Trump also directly addressed the semiconductor industry in the interview. "I want all of Taiwan's semiconductor manufacturers to come to the United States," he said. "Given the urgency of the situation, doing so would be a wonderful thing."
In particular, he said he expects 40 to 50 percent of the world's semiconductor industry to be based in the United States by the end of his term.
"Previous administrations didn't impose tariffs on Taiwan's semiconductor industry, and that's how today's Taiwan was made," he claimed. "They took our semiconductor industry over the years."
However, asked whether Taiwan had become safer following the U.S.-China summit, he replied "neutral," meaning there has been no change in U.S. policy toward Taiwan itself.
"I don't want a situation where someone declares independence and the U.S. has to cross 15,000 kilometers to fight a war," Trump said, repeatedly emphasizing that both China and Taiwan must exercise restraint.
Separately, he said he had directly raised the issue of releasing Jimmy Lai, a pro-democracy and anti-China Hong Kong media figure, with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Trump said Xi described Jimmy Lai as his "worst nightmare."
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Apart from Trump's remarks, the U.S. government reaffirmed that it would maintain its stance on advanced semiconductor export controls targeting China.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said in a Bloomberg TV interview the same day that "semiconductor export controls were not a key agenda item at the U.S.-China summit."
The United States has maintained export restrictions on China centered on advanced semiconductors and AI technology since the time of former President Joe Biden, and the Trump administration has continued the policy.
Regarding the issue of supplying Nvidia's high-performance H200 AI chip, Greer said, "Whether to purchase is China's sovereign decision," while also explaining that China may perceive U.S. technological superiority as a threat to its own industry.
In principle, the United States restricts exports of advanced chips such as the H200 to China, but it has recently left open the possibility of some exceptions. However, China has also taken a cautious stance on adoption, strengthening its self-reliance path to reduce dependence on U.S. technology.
Signs of some easing have also been detected on rare earths, another key issue in the bilateral conflict.
Greer said, "There have been cases in recent weeks where significant quantities of Chinese yttrium were shipped to the United States," hinting at the possibility of partial supply resumption. Yttrium is considered a key material in the defense, aerospace, and semiconductor industries.
He also said, "China knows that a significant portion of U.S. tariffs on China will be maintained," indicating that tariff pressure could continue separately from any improvement in U.S.-China relations.
Greer also stressed that the Taiwan issue and trade negotiations would be handled separately. "I don't expect the Taiwan issue to affect discussions at the trade commission," he said. "China knows that Taiwan is a core issue, and China also understands that the U.S. prioritizes the interests of its companies and workers."
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