US-China relations

Taiwan not worried about the new US summit with China

The Taiwanese government is not worried about US President Donald Trump meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping this week. The US and Taiwan are in regular contact with each other, according to Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung.

"We are confident that relations between Taiwan and the US will continue to develop stably," he says, according to Reuters.

Lin adds that the Trump administration will not change its policy towards Taiwan.

China considers Taiwan its territory and has not ruled out taking control of the island by force. The issue is expected to be raised at the meeting between Trump and Xi.

Analysis: Trump's meeting with Xi could affect us all

Ahead of the meeting between US President Donald Trump and China's Xi Jinping this week, smaller countries are worried that Trump will give up security guarantees in exchange for better trade terms with Beijing. The New York Times' Damien Cave writes in an analysis.

To protect themselves, many countries have in recent weeks, somewhat in the background, concluded trade and security agreements with each other, he points out. But everything must be done discreetly, so as not to anger the two giants.

"Nobody wants to be the one who steps outside the box," he writes.

Yvonne Murray, global security reporter for the Irish public service channel RTE, writes that the meeting between Trump and Xi could have major global consequences. She points out that there has been speculation that the US and China will conclude an agreement that secures trade between themselves at the expense of everyone else, a G2.

At the same time, she points out that this week's meeting is the first of two scheduled for this year, which could indicate that any agreements are delayed.

"It could give other countries at least a little more time to decide what role they want to play in this century's great power game," she writes.