OPINION:
After the White House announced that a meeting between President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, was in the works, speculations from scholars came in quickly, especially regarding the possibility of Trump and Xi signing a fourth U.S.-China communique. Even in Taipei there is an extremely high degree of anxiety about this summit, slated for Mar-a-Lago next month.
Most analysts believe that the summit will provide a litmus test for Beijing-Washington relations and the handling of the North Korean nuclear issue and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD). Taiwan will likely be a topic of discussion between the two leaders at the meeting. Mr. Trump should avoid at all costs the prospect of negotiating a fourth communique that makes it binding on the United States to comply with the One China Policy, abolish the Taiwan Relations Act and stop the selling of arms to Taiwan. Instead, Mr. Trump should reassure Taipei that Taiwan will not be a bargaining chip in talks with Beijing.
KENT WANG
Advisory commissioner
Overseas Community Affairs Council of Republic of China (Taiwan) in the United States
Potomac Falls, Va.
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