In an interview with Fox News, aired after his two-day stay in China, Trump affirmed that the long-standing US policy regarding Taiwan had not changed. However, he voiced his opposition to any independence declaration from the self-ruled island.
“I’m not looking to have somebody go independent, and you know, we’re supposed to travel 9,500 miles to fight a war,” Trump stated. “I’m not looking for that. I want them to cool down, I want China to cool down.”
These comments followed high-level discussions in Beijing, where Taiwan was a significant topic between Washington and Beijing. Trump indicated that the United States should steer clear of military involvement regarding Taiwan while expressing uncertainty about future US arms sales to the island.
“I may do it, I may not do it. We’re not looking to have somebody say, ‘Let’s go independent because the United States is backing us. Taiwan would be very smart to cool it a little bit. China would be very smart to cool it a little bit. They ought to both cool it,” Trump remarked.
The United States officially acknowledges Beijing and does not support formal independence for Taiwan. Nonetheless, US law mandates that Washington supply Taiwan with defensive weapons, while remaining ambiguous about US military intervention in the event of a Chinese attack.
While returning to Washington, Trump informed reporters that he and Xi had extensive discussions about the island but did not reveal whether the US would defend it.
Trump noted that Xi “feels very strongly” about Taiwan and “doesn’t want to see an independence movement.”
Chinese state media reported that during the summit, Xi cautioned that Taiwan is “the most important issue in China-US relations” and warned that mishandling this matter could spark conflict between the two superpowers.
Trump, however, minimized the possibility of conflict, expressing his belief that Xi does not desire war. “No, I don’t think so. I think we’ll be fine,” he responded when asked about the likelihood of a clash with China over Taiwan.
Concluding his visit, the US President claimed advancements in trade relations, stating that China had committed to purchasing 200 Boeing aircraft and increasing imports of American oil and soybeans, as reported by AFP.
He referred to the discussions as yielding ‘fantastic trade deals’ that would benefit both nations, although no formal agreements were immediately disclosed by either party.
The summit included symbolic gestures aimed at enhancing relations, with Xi reportedly promising to send rose seeds for the White House Rose Garden, describing Trump’s visit as a ‘milestone’.
“We’ve settled a lot of different problems that other people wouldn’t have been able to solve,” Trump was quoted by AFP.
Jacob Stokes, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, remarked that the meeting seemed to focus more on improving atmospherics between the two leaders rather than achieving concrete policy breakthroughs, particularly on significant geopolitical issues like Taiwan and Iran.
“Trump got the optics he was looking for and the Chinese were happy to give them to him,” Stokes asserted.
