Randall Schriver Discusses Trump-Xi Meeting, Expects Trump to Focus on Economy and Trade, Representing US-Taiwan Interests

(Central News Agency reporter Hou Tzu-ying, Washington, 6th exclusive report) US President Trump is expected to visit Beijing next week to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Former US defense official Randall Schriver said today that he expects Trump to focus on US-China economic and trade issues, while Xi Jinping may raise other issues such as Taiwan; Schriver is confident that Trump will represent US-Taiwan interests, and in most cases, both sides share common interests.

Trump is expected to visit Beijing from May 14 to 15 to meet with Xi Jinping. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio responded to media inquiries yesterday, stating that he is certain Taiwan will be one of the topics discussed at the Trump-Xi meeting.

Randall G. Schriver, former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs (now called the Department of War) and currently chairman of the Institute for Indo-Pacific Security (IIPS), attended a forum in Washington today and was interviewed by Taiwanese media afterward. Regarding the Trump-Xi meeting scheduled for next week, he said that, to his understanding, Trump hopes the focus of the talks will be on economic and trade issues, as both sides agreed to a one-year trade truce after their meeting in Busan, South Korea, last year.

Schriver pointed out that Trump hopes to establish a more lasting mechanism covering issues such as China's rare earth exports; China may also want to discuss issues such as tariffs and the shipbuilding industry. Currently, inter-agency work in the United States is indeed focused on trade and economic areas.

Schriver, who served as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs during Trump's first term and is now chairman of the US think tank "Institute for Indo-Pacific Security" (IIPS), also pointed out that Xi Jinping may raise other issues such as Taiwan.

According to Chinese media reports, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi mentioned Taiwan as the "biggest risk" during a recent phone call with Rubio. Schriver believes that Trump will also be prepared to deal with this.

Schriver pointed out that Trump tends to have "real conversations" at the negotiating table and does not read from a script. However, he observed that Trump's support for Taiwan has remained strong from his first term to his second term, including arms sales and security assistance to Taiwan, and support for expanding Taiwan's international space, investment, and trade.

Therefore, Schriver is confident that Trump "will not only represent Taiwan but also US-Taiwan interests, and in most cases, these are common interests for both sides."

The Washington think tank "Special Competitive Studies Project" and Taiwan's National Science and Technology Council's think tank, the "Center for Science, Technology, Democracy & Society (DSET)," co-hosted a forum today to discuss the challenges posed by China from a Taiwanese perspective. Schriver served as a panelist in one of the sessions. This forum was one of the side events of the AI+ Expo held on the 7th.

Schriver stated at the forum that when thinking about technological competition and breaking it down into different components, he considers three things: how to thwart China's technological progress, how to maintain one's own lead, and technological and economic security. All three goals require close cooperation with partners and allies, and among these partners and allies, Taiwan is at the top of the list.

Representative Yu Ta-tsai, Taiwan's representative to the US, delivered a speech at the forum, stating that Taiwan is a force for good, and "the field of AI is crucial for all of us... we must set relevant standards to ensure AI becomes a force for good."

Attendees at the forum also included Taiwan's Deputy Minister of Digital Affairs Yang Chia-ling, as well as think tank experts, scholars, and industry representatives. (Edited by Chang Chih-hsuan) 1150507

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