Trump Says Xi Jinping Promised No Taiwan Action While He’s president
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – President Donald Trump says that Chinese President Xi Jinping has given him assurances that Beijing would take no action toward its long-stated goal of unifying Taiwan wiht mainland China while the Republican leader is in office.
Trump said that the long-contentious issue of Taiwan did not come up in his talks with Xi on Thursday in South Korea that largely focused on U.S.-china trade tensions.But the U.S. leader expressed certainty that Xi wouldn’t move against Taiwan during his potential second term. “He told me, and he’s a very straightforward guy, he said, ‘We will not be attacking Taiwan,'” Trump told reporters Friday.
The White House did not promptly respond to a request for further details about the conversation.The Chinese government has not commented on Trump’s claim.
Taiwan is self-governed but claimed by China,which views the island as a renegade province. The U.S. maintains a policy of “strategic ambiguity” regarding Taiwan, meaning it doesn’t explicitly state whether it would defend Taiwan if China were to attack. However, the U.S. provides Taiwan with defensive weapons and has increased its military presence in the region.
Trump’s comments come as tensions between China and Taiwan remain high. China has increased its military exercises near Taiwan in recent years, and has repeatedly warned the U.S. against interfering in the issue.The situation is further complicated by the upcoming presidential election in Taiwan in January.
Experts are skeptical of Trump’s account. “It’s highly unusual for Xi Jinping to offer such a specific assurance, and it’s difficult to verify,” said Bonnie Glaser, director of the Asia Program at the German Marshall Fund of the United States. “China has consistently maintained that the Taiwan issue is an internal matter and has not ruled out the use of force.”
Trump has often touted his personal relationship with Xi,claiming that he has a unique ability to negotiate with the Chinese leader. However, critics argue that Trump’s approach to China has been inconsistent and has failed to address the underlying issues in the relationship.
This claim follows a pattern of Trump sharing details of private conversations with foreign leaders, sometimes raising questions about diplomatic protocol and national security.