Taiwan insists it is independent after Trump's warning
Taiwan's government reaffirmed that the island is already a sovereign state after U.S. President Donald Trump warned against any declaration of independence. The foreign ministry said the island's status is decided by its people. The statements bring the Trump-Xi summit's Taiwan dimension back into focus.
Taiwan's foreign ministry restated that the island is "already a sovereign and independent state" after U.S. President Donald Trump's warning during his visit to Beijing. The ministry said the government has no plan to make a unilateral declaration of independence, but that the status is decided by the Taiwanese people.
Trump, speaking after his meeting with Xi Jinping, warned Taiwan against any move toward declaring independence and said the United States continues to recognise its one-China policy. Beijing has long described the island as an inseparable part of its territory and reserves the option of using force.
Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party said U.S. arms sales to the island would continue as scheduled. A small rally in Taipei on Sunday stressed the importance of international diplomatic support. The U.S. State Department has not commented further on the exchange.
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