Trump Claims Xi Gave Him Assurances
In a recent statement, Donald Trump revealed that Chinese President Xi Jinping communicated to him that he would not “move on” Taiwan as long as the US president remained in office. The US has consistently aimed to prevent Beijing from pursuing military action to forcibly unify Taiwan with China.
In a Fox News interview, Trump addressed his upcoming summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, where they are set to discuss a ceasefire more than three years following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. He asserted that world leaders, including Xi, would not have attempted such an initiative during his presidency. “I don’t believe there’s any way it’s going to happen as long as I’m here,” Trump stated. “He’ll never do it as long as you’re president, President Xi told me that.”
The United States has consistently aimed to discourage Beijing from pursuing any military efforts to unify the self-governing island of Taiwan with China through force. The United States stands as a leading supplier of military equipment to Taipei; however, it has historically refrained from issuing a clear security guarantee, opting instead for a stance of strategic ambiguity. The 1979 Taiwan Relations Act emphasizes the responsibility of the US to equip Taiwan with the necessary resources for self-defense and stands against any unilateral alterations in status. However, it does not clearly state that the US would take action to intervene.
In a campaign interview, Trump proposed that Taiwan “should pay us for defence.”
