Trump says China ‘won't move on Taiwan' during his presidency
US President Donald Trump said Chinese officials have assured him that Beijing would not take any action against Taiwan during his presidency because “they know the consequences.”
In an interview with CBS aired on Sunday, Trump said Chinese President Xi Jinping and his aides had made it clear in meetings that they would not move on Taiwan while he is in office.
“He has openly said, and his people have said at meetings, they would never do anything while President Trump is president because they know the consequences,” Trump said.
Asked whether he would order US forces to defend Taiwan if China attacked, Trump declined to make a public commitment. “You’ll find out if it happens. And he understands the answer to that,” he said.
Trump noted that Taiwan was not discussed during his recent meeting with Xi in South Korea, adding that “he never brought it up, because he understands it, and he understands it very well.”
Pressed to explain what Xi understands, Trump refused to elaborate, saying only, “The other side knows, but I’m not somebody that tells you everything.”
Taiwan remains a major flashpoint in US-China relations. Beijing views the island as a breakaway province that must eventually be reunified, while Taipei has maintained its independence since 1949.
The United States supports Taiwan’s self-defense under the Taiwan Relations Act and the Six Assurances, which guide Washington’s policy toward the island.
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