Taiwan firmly asserted its status as an autonomous state on Saturday, just hours after U.S. President Donald Trump publicly warned the democratic island against declaring formal independence.
The diplomatic friction peaked following Trump’s high-stakes state visit to Beijing, which concluded on Friday. During the summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping heavily pressured the American leader to withdraw support for Taiwan, a territory Beijing strictly claims as its own.
Responding to the geopolitical crossfire, Taiwan’s foreign ministry released a defiant statement clarifying the island’s political status.
“is a sovereign and independent democratic nation, and is not subordinate to the People’s Republic of China”
The ministry further emphasized that continuing U.S. arms sales remain a vital element of Washington’s long-standing security commitments to Taipei, particularly after Trump indicated he was reviewing the defense policy.
The swift pushback from Taipei followed remarks Trump made during an interview on Fox News’ “Special Report with Bret Baier,” where he explicitly cautioned the self-ruled island against shifting the current status quo.
“I’m not looking to have somebody go independent. And, you know, we’re supposed to travel 9,500 miles to fight a war. I’m not looking for that,” Trump stated.
“I want them to cool down. I want China to cool down,” he added. “We’re not looking to have wars, and if you kept it the way it is, I think China’s going to be OK with that.”
While Washington historically maintains a policy of “strategic ambiguity”—recognizing Beijing under the One China policy without officially backing Taiwan’s independence—it remains legally bound by the Taiwan Relations Act to provide the island with defensive weapons.
During the Beijing summit, President Xi had earlier drawn a firm red line, warning Trump that any miscalculations over Taiwan could lead to direct “conflict.” Taiwan’s current President, Lai Ching-te, has consistently maintained that the island is already inherently independent, rendering a formal declaration unnecessary.
Despite Trump’s cautious rhetoric, Taiwan’s Presidential Office sought to project stability, noting that core American foreign policy regarding the region remains intact.
“multiple reaffirmations from the US side, including President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, that the consistent US policy and position toward Taiwan remain unchanged,” the Presidential Office noted.
“Taiwan-US cooperation has always been demonstrated through action,” Presidential Office spokeswoman Karen Kuo said in a statement. “Taiwan looks forward to continuing to work with the US under the firm commitments of the Taiwan Relations Act.”