Trump warns Taiwan against declaring independence, hours after summit with China’s Xi
US President Donald Trump warned Taiwan not to officially declare independence from China.
“I don’t want someone to be independent,” the US president told Fox News on Friday at the end of a two-day summit with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Beijing.
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te has previously stated that Taiwan does not need to declare formal independence as it already considers itself a sovereign nation.
The United States has long supported Taiwan, including an obligation to provide Taiwan with means of self-defense, but has often had to balance this alliance with maintaining a diplomatic relationship with China.
Trump had previously said that China had “made no commitments either way” regarding the autonomous island, which it claims is part of its territory and has not ruled out seizing by force.
Washington’s established position is that it does not support Taiwan independence and that continued ties with Beijing depend solely on accepting the existence of a Chinese government.
Beijing has been voicing its displeasure with Taiwan’s president, whom it has previously described as a “troublemaker” and “destroyer of cross-Strait peace”.
Many Taiwanese consider themselves part of a separate nation; but most are in favor of maintaining the status quo, in which Taiwan does not declare independence from China or merge with it.
Trump reiterated in his interview with Fox News that US policy on the issue has not changed.
“You know, we have to travel 9,500 miles (15,289 km) to get into a war. I’m not looking for that. I want them to cool down. I want China to cool down.”
On the flight back to Washington, the US president told reporters that he and Xi had talked “a lot” about the island but refused to discuss whether the US would defend the island.
Trump said Xi “feels very strongly” about the island and “doesn’t want to see a movement for independence.”
According to Chinese state media, Xi stated during the talks that “the Taiwan issue is the most important issue in Sino-US relations” and added: “If mishandled, the two countries may clash or even clash.”
Asked whether he foresees a conflict with China over Taiwan, Trump replied: “No, I don’t think so. I think we’ll be fine.” [Xi] We don’t want to see war.”
China’s increased military exercises around the island in recent years are increasing tensions in the region and testing the balance established by Washington.
Late last year, the Trump administration announced $11 billion ($8 billion) arms package to be sold to TaiwanThey include advanced rocket launchers and various missiles that Beijing condemns.
Trump said he would decide soon whether this sale would proceed, adding that he and Xi had discussed the issue “in great detail.”
He added: “I will say that I need to talk to the person who is currently running Taiwan, you know who that is.”
Although the United States does not have official relations with Taiwan, it has significant unofficial relations. U.S. presidents traditionally do not speak directly to Taiwan’s leader, and doing so could cause serious tensions with Beijing, which views Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te as a separatist.
“We don’t want to have wars, and if you keep going that way, I think China will accept it. But we don’t want someone to say, ‘Let’s be independent because the United States supports us,'” Trump told Fox News.
The United States has provoked China’s anger before. appears to be softening its stance on independence.
The State Department published a statement on its website reiterating Washington’s opposition to Taiwan independence in February 2025; A statement that Beijing said “sends the wrong signal to separatist forces”.
US officials in Taiwan said at the time: “We have long stated that we oppose unilateral changes to the status quo from either side.”
Taiwanese Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung said his team was monitoring the US-China summit and maintaining good communication with the US and other countries “to ensure the steady deepening of Taiwan-US relations and protect Taiwan’s interests.”
He said Taiwan has always been the “guardian of peace and stability” in the region and accused China of increasing the risk with its “aggressive military actions and authoritarian pressure.”
