蔡英文与美国总统当选人特朗普通电话后，台美关系未来走向备受关注。正在访问台湾的共和党爱达荷州主席叶望辉认为，这次通电是一个“小步骤”，而非政策改变，无需反应过度，也不必过度期待美国政策会有大改变。
美国共和党爱达荷州主席叶望辉（Stephen Yates）今清晨搭机抵台访问，下午在台北举行媒体见面会。自由时报报道，叶望辉说，此次为了与朋友们交换意见、更加了解区域发展而访台，是低调的私人行程，在美国大选前即安排好。叶望辉强调，他并非美国总统当选人特朗普交接团队一员，目前在新政府中也未被指定担任职务，于公于私，都没有立场代表他们发言。
媒体先前传闻叶望辉是此次“特蔡电”的牵线人，叶望辉下午也公开澄清表示，他乐见特朗普接了蔡英文的祝贺电话，当时他人在爱达华州，不在台北。而这通电话是由特朗普团队所安排，他并非牵线人。媒体询问这通电话是由哪方发起？叶望辉表示，虽他未涉其中，但一般来说祝贺电话是由致贺方发起，没有接受方发起的道理，而据他了解台湾一开始就在清单上。
叶望辉重申，通电是“好的、小小的一步”，中国外交部长王毅说是“小动作”，但他视为“小步骤”。叶望辉强调，政权交接时有此进展，大家因而对台美关係有所期待相当合理，但这并不意味着政策的改变。不须反应过度，也不必过度期待美国政策会有大改变。一切需等到特朗普正式就职，国安及外交团队人事底定后，给他们一些时间订定优先顺序，特朗普的政策才会清楚表明出来。
他也重申，他对美国主流媒体的反应不以为然，若接一通礼貌性的祝贺电话就是对中国挑衅，甚至影响两国关係，“那就应该检讨”。
外界传闻叶望辉此行将会见蔡英文，叶望辉对此说明，他见过前总统李登辉、马英九，也在就职典礼时见过蔡英文，他很感激他们与他建立友谊，因为他们没有责任一定要见他。但这次访台，他还不确定会不会见到蔡英文。
Stephen Yates, a former deputy national security adviser to Vice President Dick Cheney and the current chairman of the Idaho Republican Party, is visiting Taiwan this week. As he arrived early Tuesday at the Taoyuan International Airport, he was surrounded by media and asked whether any meeting is to be arranged with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen.
Yates has recently gained a lot of media attention for his role behind the historic Trump-Tsai call last Friday, though he has been denying the claim. In a recent 20-minute interview with VOA in Chinese, Yates said that with his extensive experience in the Greater China region, he has been approached by the team for advice and insights. According to the Wall Street Journal published Monday, a transition official said the call had been arranged by Bob Dole, the former Republican senator and presidential nominee.
Asked by the same question by reporters at the airport, Yates reiterated that he is not responsible for the congratulatory phone call between President-elect Trump and Tsai but a friend of him.
Yates explained the purpose of the trip is to meet and exchange ideas with old friends in Taiwan. Asked whether a meeting with Tsai is slated to take place during his visit in Taiwan, Yates said he has no knowledge of the full schedule and will see how it is going to be arranged.
Yates defends Trump's tweet calling Tsai "the President of Taiwan"
Known for being fluent in Chinese, upon arrival, Yates responded to questions from Taiwanese reporters mainly in Mandarin. Speaking of Beijing's reaction to the call, Yates urged the mainland not to overreact, adding that Trump was just kindly taking a congratulatory call from Taiwan and his foreign policy will be up and running after taking office.
In the tweet by Trump last Friday, he called Tsai "the President of Taiwan," which prompted backlash from China. Asked by media whether it would negatively affect U.S.-China relations, he said that Trump has been known for speaking straightforward, so there is nothing wrong with referring Taiwan's President to "President of Taiwan."
Yates continued to say in Chinese: “If American or Chinese people want to interact with Taiwanese, they should use truth as the basis.”
According to media reports, Yates was a missionary in Taiwan in the 1980s and developed a close relationship with Taiwan while working at Heritage Foundation.
A day before his departure for Taiwan, he posted on his Facebook that he was going to fly to Taiwan and that it“should be an interesting week.”
Yates is slated to meet Taiwanese media on Tuesday evening in Taipei.
