WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President Donald Trump claims that Chinese President Xi Jinping assured him that Beijing would take no action towards its long-stated goal of unifying Taiwan with mainland China while he is in office. Trump stated that this issue did not come up in his talks with Xi in South Korea, which focused on U.S.-China trade tensions. Despite this, Trump expressed certainty that China would not take action regarding Taiwan during his presidency.
In an excerpt of his interview with CBS’s program “60 Minutes”, Trump mentioned, “He has openly said, and his people have openly said at meetings, ‘We would never do anything while President Trump is president,’ because they know the consequences.”
U.S. officials remain wary of potential military threats from China against Taiwan, a self-ruled island claimed by Beijing. The 1979 Taiwan Relations Act does not obligate U.S. military intervention in the event of an invasion by China but commits the U.S. to ensure Taiwan has sufficient means to defend itself.
When asked if he would order U.S. forces to defend Taiwan should China attack, Trump avoided a direct answer, reflecting the longstanding U.S. policy of “strategic ambiguity” regarding Taiwan.
Liu Pengyu, spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Washington, did not directly address Trump’s claims but reiterated China's firm stance that it will not let any forces separate Taiwan from China. This situation remains complex as both nations navigate their delicate relationship regarding Taiwan and broader trade concerns.
In an excerpt of his interview with CBS’s program “60 Minutes”, Trump mentioned, “He has openly said, and his people have openly said at meetings, ‘We would never do anything while President Trump is president,’ because they know the consequences.”
U.S. officials remain wary of potential military threats from China against Taiwan, a self-ruled island claimed by Beijing. The 1979 Taiwan Relations Act does not obligate U.S. military intervention in the event of an invasion by China but commits the U.S. to ensure Taiwan has sufficient means to defend itself.
When asked if he would order U.S. forces to defend Taiwan should China attack, Trump avoided a direct answer, reflecting the longstanding U.S. policy of “strategic ambiguity” regarding Taiwan.
Liu Pengyu, spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Washington, did not directly address Trump’s claims but reiterated China's firm stance that it will not let any forces separate Taiwan from China. This situation remains complex as both nations navigate their delicate relationship regarding Taiwan and broader trade concerns.
