Donald Trump Warns Xi Jinping Of ‘Consequences’ Over Any Move Against Taiwan | World News

US President Donald Trump claimed that Chinese leader Xi Jinping was fully aware of the consequences of any military action against Taiwan, but refused to say whether the US would intervene militarily.

In an excerpt from an interview aired on CBS News on Sunday, Trump said the Taiwan issue “never came up” when he and Xi met in South Korea on Thursday, face-to-face for the first time in six years. When asked on 60 Minutes whether he would allow US military intervention if China attacked Taiwan, Trump replied: “You’ll find out if that’s going to happen, and he understands the answer to that.”

Refraining from giving further details, Trump added, “I cannot reveal my secrets. The other side knows.”

The president claimed that Xi and his inner circle had “clearly” said they would not take action against Taiwan while he was in office because “they knew the consequences.”

Beijing considers the self-governing island as part of its territory; Washington, on the other hand, recognizes only Beijing as part of its long-standing ‘One China’ policy, but provides defensive weapons to Taiwan.

The issue remains a major flashpoint in US-China relations; but Trump and Xi’s recent discussions have reportedly focused on easing trade tensions rather than territorial disputes.