TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — In response to a legislator's question about a potential visit by President Trump to Taiwan, a high-level official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) stated that the ministry welcomes such a visit and has no qualms with the hypothetical reestablishment of diplomatic relations or port calls by U.S. warships.

At the Legislative Yuan on Monday (Nov. 16) during a report on the outlook for U.S.-Taiwan economic and trade relations after the American presidential election, Kuomintang (KMT) legislator Tseng Ming-chung (曾銘宗) asked Vice Foreign Minister Harry Ho-jen Tseng (曾厚仁) what MOFA's response would be if Trump proposed a visit to Taiwan by himself and/or Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. The minister simply replied, "There would be no reason to refuse," reported Liberty Times.

The legislator then asked what MOFA's response would be if the U.S. broached the reestablishment of diplomatic relations with Taiwan. The minister answered by saying, "What would be wrong with that? This is what the legislature has resolved to do."

Pressing further, the legislator then asked if it is likely that U.S. warships would dock at Taiwan's ports before Trump's term in office ends. The MOFA representative answered: "If they wish to make a port stop, we would welcome them at any time."

However, later that day, MOFA released an official statement saying that regarding hypothetical events such as visits by President Trump or Secretary of State Pompeo or U.S. warships making port of calls, the ministry currently "does not have relevant plans and has not discussed these matters with the United States."

The ministry emphasized that the Taiwanese government has always maintained close communication with the U.S. and will continue to "uphold the principles of mutual trust, reciprocity, and mutual benefit in the future to steadily deepen the cooperative partnership between Taiwan and the U.S. in various fields."