WASHINGTON DC: US President Donald Trump has warned Taiwan against making any formal declaration of independence from China, shortly after concluding a two-day summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing.
Speaking to Fox News on Friday, Trump said he did not want Taiwan to “go independent,” while reiterating that Washington’s long-standing policy on the self-ruled island remains unchanged.
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te has previously argued that Taiwan does not need to declare independence because it already functions as a sovereign state. However, China considers Taiwan part of its territory and has repeatedly stated that it could use force if necessary to bring the island under its control.
Although the United States maintains close ties with Taiwan and is legally committed to helping it defend itself, Washington officially does not support Taiwanese independence and continues to recognize Beijing under the “One China” policy.
During the summit, Trump said he and Xi discussed Taiwan extensively, but he declined to say whether the US would intervene militarily if conflict broke out. He added that Xi strongly opposes any move toward Taiwanese independence.
Chinese state media quoted Xi as saying that Taiwan remains the most sensitive issue in US-China relations and warned that mishandling the matter could lead to confrontation between the two powers.
Beijing has frequently criticized President Lai, labeling him a destabilizing figure, while many people in Taiwan continue to support maintaining the current status quo rather than pursuing either formal independence or unification with China.
Trump also said he did not expect a war over Taiwan, adding that Xi “doesn’t want to see a war” and expressing hope that tensions would ease between both sides.
(Inputs from BBC)
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