President Trump [AFP Yonhap News]

U.S. President Donald Trump said on the 20th (local time) that the meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin was a good thing.

He then said he would speak with Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te. This would be highly likely to provoke a strong backlash from China, as there has been no precedent of a sitting U.S. president directly speaking with a sitting Taiwanese president since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and China.

Trump told reporters at the White House and at a commencement speech at the Coast Guard Academy that he views the meeting between Xi and Putin as a good thing, adding, "I get along well with both of them."

Trump also mentioned that Xi had informed him about the plans for the meeting with Putin, and humorously added that he wasn't sure if China's welcoming ceremony for Putin was as good as his own.

Putin visited China four days after Trump's state visit. It has been analyzed that Xi, who had urged "equal coexistence" from Trump during his visit to China, immediately invited Putin to showcase their cooperation, thereby sending a veiled message to the United States.

When asked if he planned to speak with Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te regarding U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, Trump replied, "I will talk to him," and added, "We will resolve the Taiwan issue."

Without specifying a timeframe for the call, he stated, "I talk to everyone." He also added that he had a very good meeting with President Xi.

A direct conversation between President Trump and President Lai would be highly likely to provoke China significantly. Reuters reported that since the U.S. severed official diplomatic relations with Taiwan in 1979 upon establishing relations with China, there has been no direct communication between a sitting U.S. president and a sitting Taiwanese president.

In December 2016, prior to the inauguration of his first term, President Trump, then President-elect, spoke with then-Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen. Although the call was made while he was President-elect, the Chinese government strongly protested, stating that it had lodged a serious protest with the U.S.

This statement, that he would speak with President Lai, may also have stemmed from dissatisfaction with and pressure on President Xi.

Following the U.S.-China summit on the 14th, President Trump's remarks that he could use U.S. arms sales to Taiwan as a bargaining chip have led to speculation that he might be undermining the U.S. security commitment to Taiwan.

President Trump also stated on this day, "By the time I leave (the White House), we will have close to 50% of the chip business. Right now we have virtually none. Other places have taken it, and Taiwan has taken it."

Regarding a war with Iran, President Trump reiterated that Iran could not possess nuclear weapons, and pressured for an agreement, saying, "We may have to hit Iran harder, or we may not." He added that he would not let Iran possess nuclear weapons, attack the Middle East, and then target the U.S.

When asked if he was rushing to resolve the Iran issue due to the upcoming November midterm elections, he countered, "Everyone talks about the midterms, but I'm not rushing at all."