“I would put it this way: I don't want anybody to become independent. We're supposed to travel 9,500 miles to fight a war. I'm not looking for that. I want them to calm down.” This is the statement made by Trump, in an interview given to FoxNews, about the situation in Taiwan, one of the sensitive topics of relations between the US and China.
Donald Trump was asked on Friday by Fox News whether Taiwanese people should feel safer or less safe after his talk with China's president.
“Neutral,” the US leader replied, insisting that US policy towards China and Taiwan “has not changed”.
“Nothing has changed. I would say this: I don't want anybody to become somebody independent. And, you know, we're supposed to travel 9,500 miles to fight a war. I'm not looking for that. I want them to calm down. I want China to calm down,” Trump added.
Trump also declined to say whether he would sign off on the $14 billion US arms package for Taiwan, authorized by Congress but requiring White House approval. It was another thorny topic on the agenda of the talks between the two leaders.
“Maybe I will. Maybe I won't,” the US leader said. “We are not looking to have wars. If we keep the situation as it is, I think China will be OK with it. But we are not looking for someone to say, 'let's become independent because the United States supports us,'” explained the head of the White House.
China has repeatedly expressed its strong opposition to these sales.
What Xi Jinping conveyed to Trump about Taiwan
During the meeting in Beijing, the Chinese leader said that Taiwan is the most important issue they face and that if it is mishandled, it could push the entire US-China relationship into an extremely dangerous situation.
Specifically, Chinese President Xi Jinping told US leader Donald Trump that trade talks are making progress, but warned that disagreements over Taiwan could even lead to conflict.
Xi's remarks on Beijing-claimed Taiwan came during a closed-door meeting between the leaders of the world's two largest economies that lasted more than two hours, China's Foreign Ministry said.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on his return from China after the high-stakes summit, Trump said he and Xi had “discussed a lot about Taiwan” but added that he did not believe there was a conflict on the issue. Trump also said that Xi asked him directly if the United States would defend Taiwan if China attacked the island, but that he refused to answer.
China claims Taiwan as its own territory and has long opposed US arms sales to the island, which Beijing sees as interference in its internal affairs.
The United States, despite lacking formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, remains Taiwan's most important international supporter and largest arms supplier.
