Taiwan has committed to buying a large share of the gas from a planned Alaska pipeline project, a win for Trump's energy export push and for Taipei's effort to stay on Washington's good side.

• Trump said Taiwan agreed to take 30% of the gas from the Alaska LNG pipeline over the next 20 years.
• Taiwan will also put in an extra $4.4 billion to help get the project finished.
• Taiwan's state oil company CPC already signed a deal last year to buy the gas and invest in the pipeline.
• South Korea made a much bigger pledge earlier this month, but said it will only go ahead if the project actually makes money.
• Doubts remain over whether the pipeline gets built at all, since the project has struggled for decades on cost.

Outlook: Expect more Asian buyers to be lined up as political cover for the project, with the real test being whether the economics hold up well enough to start construction.