Two people familiar with the matter said there had been no movement towards arranging such a conversation, which was reliant on the American leader’s willingness to take the initiative.
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The call was the first direct contact of its kind since 1979 and Beijing responded by lodging a formal diplomatic protest and criticising the call as a “small trick” by Taiwan.
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The apparent restraint this time around goes beyond high-level contacts. Multiple sources suggested that no new US arms-sale announcements for Taiwan were likely in the near term, either. However, some packages are expected to be announced or approved afterwards.
When asked on Wednesday when a Trump-Lai call could happen, Taiwanese Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung said he could not speak for Trump but “we are ready to have a call at any time”.