Trump warns Taiwan against declaring independence hours after his summit with China's Xi
US President Donald Trump publicly urged Taiwan not to move toward declaring independence, only hours after he left a summit with China's Xi Jinping in Beijing. Trump had earlier told reporters he had given Xi 'no commitment' on defending Taiwan. Taipei's government responded by reaffirming its commitment to the status quo.
US President Donald Trump issued a public warning to Taiwan only hours after leaving his two-day summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. According to the BBC, Trump told reporters that Taipei should not move toward a formal declaration of independence and that the island 'needs to think carefully about the response from Beijing'. Long-standing US policy recognises the one-China principle while continuing arms sales to Taiwan.
At the same summit, Trump said he had given Xi 'no commitment' on whether the United States would defend Taiwan, framing this as a 'measured balance'. On board Air Force One, the president used the phrase 'may do it, may not do it' when asked about future Taiwan arms sales. The statements reverberated through Asian equity markets and across Indo-Pacific capitals.
The Taiwanese presidency replied within hours, saying the island would defend its democratic system and was 'opposed to any unilateral change in the status quo'. Taiwan's Foreign Ministry confirmed that the existing security dialogue with the United States remains active. Beijing had not yet issued a formal response at the time of publication.
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