U.S. President Donald Trump issued a stern warning to Taiwan against declaring formal independence following a state visit to China, where President Xi Jinping heavily pressured the American leader to withhold support for the self-ruling island.
Concluding his trip with claims of “fantastic” but vague trade deals, Trump failed to secure a breakthrough with Beijing regarding the ongoing, stalemated conflict with Iran.
However, he invited Xi for a reciprocal visit to Washington in September, signaling a mutual desire for stability between the world’s two largest economies.
On the critical issue of Taiwan, Trump openly questioned the historical U.S. commitment to the island’s defense, expressing deep reluctance over potential military entanglement.
”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.”
While Washington recognizes Beijing and does not officially support Taiwanese independence, U.S. policy has historically maintained “strategic ambiguity” rather than explicit opposition to it.
Under U.S. law, Washington is required to supply Taiwan with defensive weapons, but Trump urged both sides to de-escalate.
”I want them to cool down. I want China to cool down. 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.”
The remarks follow severe warnings from Xi, who cautioned Trump at the start of the summit that missteps regarding Taiwan could ignite an outright “conflict.” Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te maintains that the island is already independent, rendering a formal declaration unnecessary.
In response to the summit, Taiwan’s foreign ministry expressed gratitude toward the U.S. for its continued focus on “Taiwan Strait peace and stability,” pointing to separate reassuring statements made by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.