Global & US Headlines
Xi–Trump Call Triggers Fresh Global Scramble Over Taiwan Ties
On 4 Feb 2026, after Xi Jinping warned Donald Trump that Taiwan is the “most important issue” and urged restraint on U.S. arms sales, governments in Taipei, Canberra and Ottawa publicly weighed or defended deeper cooperation with Taiwan, signalling push-back against Beijing’s pressure.
Focusing Facts
- Xi told Trump on 4 Feb 2026 that Washington must handle Taiwan arms sales “with prudence,” days after approving US$11.1 billion in weapons for Taipei.
- Taiwan President Lai Ching-te on 5 Feb 2026 stated that all Taiwan–U.S. cooperation programmes remain unchanged and called relations “rock-solid.”
- A 146-page University of Sydney report released 4 Feb 2026 urged Australia to post a de-facto defence attaché in Taipei and expand economic ties despite likely Chinese retaliation.
Context
This episode echoes the 1972 Shanghai Communiqué moment—when Washington balanced rapprochement with Beijing against continued arms sales to Taiwan—yet now the symmetry is gone: the island is a full democracy and a semiconductor linchpin. The flurry of statements and studies shows a long-running trend: middle powers (Australia, Canada) are recalibrating ‘One China’ ambiguity as China’s coercive diplomacy intensifies, much like how Asian nations edged closer to Taipei after Beijing’s 1995-96 missile drills. Over a 100-year arc, whether Taiwan can widen its network of quasi-official partners despite the mainland’s growing hard power will shape regional trade routes, chip supply chains and the credibility of the post-1945 rules-based order; this week’s reactions hint that Beijing’s pressure may be triggering the very multilateral hedging it seeks to prevent.
Perspectives
Taiwan government-aligned sources
e.g., Nikkei Asia, The Straits Times — Warn that Beijing’s daily military pressure proves Taiwan must tighten security and lean on a “rock-solid” U.S. alliance while opposition parties stop "provoking China" rhetoric. Portrays the ruling DPP’s hard line as purely defensive and paints rivals as Beijing-friendly, glossing over civil-liberty concerns raised about app bans and speech limits.
Australian strategic-policy media
e.g., The Age, Brisbane Times, ABC — Argue Canberra should risk Chinese anger and rapidly expand defence, trade and diplomatic links with the democratic island to protect the regional rules-based order. Think-tank research partly funded by Taiwan and hawkish commentators underplay likely economic blow-back and assume Australia can safely recalibrate without major cost.
Chinese state-owned media
e.g., China Daily — Highlights shared ancestry across the Strait and depicts cultural exchanges as bridges being stifled by Taiwan authorities, implying the island naturally belongs within the Chinese family. Soft-focus human-interest approach masks Beijing’s political coercion and advances the Party narrative that separation results from Taipei’s restrictions, not mainland pressure.