Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te has said US President Donald Trump should receive the Nobel Peace Prize if he successfully convinces Chinese President Xi Jinping to permanently abandon the use of military force against Taiwan.
Speaking on The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show, a conservative US radio programme aired on more than 400 stations, Lai expressed hope for Trump’s continued support of Taiwan amid growing tensions with Beijing.
“We hope to continue receiving President Trump’s support. Should President Trump persuade Xi Jinping to permanently abandon any military aggression against Taiwan, President Trump would undoubtedly be a Nobel Peace Prize laureate,” Lai said.
The comment came as Trump is expected to meet Xi later this month during a gathering of Asia-Pacific leaders in South Korea. Lai referenced Trump’s earlier remarks in August, where the US president claimed Xi had assured him that China would not invade Taiwan while he was in office.
Although the United States does not maintain formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, it remains the island’s most significant international partner and arms supplier. However, since Trump took office earlier this year, no new weapons sales to Taipei have been announced.
Asked what advice he would give Trump if they met, Lai said he would urge him to remain cautious of Xi’s military intentions. “I would advise him to pay particular attention to the fact that Xi Jinping is not only conducting increasingly large-scale military exercises in the Taiwan Strait, but is also expanding military forces to in the East China Sea and South China Sea,” Lai noted, according to a transcript released by Taiwan’s presidential office on Tuesday.
Trump, who has repeatedly claimed he deserves a Nobel Peace Prize like four of his predecessors, could find Lai’s remarks bolstering his international credentials ahead of Friday’s announcement of this year’s laureate in Norway.
Melissa Enoch
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