00:00U.S. President Donald Trump has again said he is open to speaking directly to Taiwan President Lai Ching-de.
00:07Have you made a decision on the arms sales to Taiwan that package the first million?
00:11We're looking at that, yeah.
00:12Are you still planning to talk to Taiwan's president about it?
00:15I'll always talk to him, but we're looking at it.
00:18This is now the third time in recent weeks that Trump has said he is open to talking with Lai.
00:25Lai has also said he would welcome direct talks.
00:27He said he would tell Trump that Taiwan is committed to maintaining the status quo in the Taiwan Strait
00:33and that it's China that is undermining peace.
00:36If they were to speak, it would be the first known contact between sitting U.S. and Taiwan leaders since
00:421979
00:43when the two countries broke diplomatic ties.
00:46Beijing has warned Washington against direct contact with Lai.
00:50It comes as Trump says he's still deciding whether to move forward on a major arms package to Taiwan.
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