US President Donald Trump on Friday stated that Chinese President Xi Jinping assured him that China would not invade Taiwan while Trump remains in office. Trump made these remarks during an interview with Fox News, just before his discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
“I will tell you, you know, you have a very similar thing with President Xi of China and Taiwan,” Trump said. “But I don’t believe there’s any way it’s going to happen as long as I’m here. We’ll see.” He emphasized that Xi told him, “I will never do it as long as you’re president.” Trump expressed his appreciation for this assurance but noted that Xi also mentioned, “But I am very patient, and China is very patient.”
In June, Trump and Xi held their first confirmed call since Trump began his second presidential term. Additionally, Trump mentioned that Xi had called him in April, although he did not specify the date of that conversation.
Taiwan’s Status and US-China Relations
China considers Taiwan to be its own territory and has vowed to “reunify” with the democratically governed island, even by force if necessary, with Taipei strongly opposes China’s claims of sovereignty.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington addressed the Taiwan issue on Friday, calling it “the most important and sensitive issue” in China-US relations. Embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu stated, “The US government should adhere to the one-China principle and the three US-China joint communiqués. It should handle Taiwan-related issues prudently and earnestly safeguard China-US relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.”
Although Washington serves as Taiwan’s primary arms supplier and international supporter, the US does not maintain formal diplomatic ties with the island, similar to most countries. This complex relationship continues to shape the dynamics between the US, China, and Taiwan.
