TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Taiwan’s top envoy in the United States, Alexander Yui (俞大㵢), attended a lunch with former Trump administration official Robert O’Brien in Salt Lake City, reports said Saturday (Nov. 9).

O’Brien, who served as national security adviser during Trump’s first term, has been tipped to join his next government team. The former official is known as a supporter of Taiwan and was awarded the Order of Brilliant Star with Special Grand Cordon by then-President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) in March 2023.

According to the Australian-based news platform Inkl, the Nov. 7 lunch between Yui and O’Brien might have been part of contacts between foreign diplomats in the US and members of the Trump team to understand what the president-elect might plan for his second term. Former Republican Representative Chris Stewart also attended the lunch.

O’Brien reportedly refused to comment on the meeting, while observers expect the new Trump administration to pay more attention to the Asia Pacific, raising the possibility of intensifying disputes with China, Radio Taiwan International reported. Taiwan has been concerned about comments from the president-elect critical of its defense spending and booming semiconductor industry.