Recent talks in Beijing between Xi Jinping and Donald Trump ended with a stark warning for Taiwan: not to expect a military “blank check” from the US. On Saturday, the government in Taipei reacted, Politico reported.
Taiwan “is a sovereign and independent democratic nation and is not subordinate to the People's Republic of China,” Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
The ministry's statement came as a quick retort to the US president who, in his first interview since visiting China, told Fox News bluntly that he “doesn't want anyone to become independent”, referring to Taiwan.
Asked by the reporter from the station closest to the White House how Taiwanese citizens should feel after his meeting with Xi, Trump said he was “neutral” and added: “I don't want us to have to go 15,200 kilometers to go to war. That's not what I want. I want them to calm down. I want China to calm down.”
Fox News headlined: “Trump warns Taiwan not to expect blank check from US military after intense summit with Xi.”
While aboard Air Force One on his way home, Trump continued his chat with reporters and revealed that he and Xi had “discussed a lot about Taiwan” but added that he did not believe there was a risk of conflict on the issue. He also testified at the time that Xi asked him directly if the United States would defend the island in the event of an attack, but that he refused to give an answer.
Although the US does not officially recognize the autonomous island, Washington has been harshly criticized by Beijing for the arms sales. Xi Jinping directly urged Trump to halt the arms shipments, reiterating that China considers Taiwan an integral part of its territory.
Chinese state media reported that Xi called Taiwan “the most important issue in China-US relations,” warning that mishandling it could lead to direct conflict. However, Trump tried to play down the severity of the warning, opposing any escalation and insisting the Chinese leader “doesn't want a war”.
Historians' warning, however, is much grimmer and came before the leaders sat down at the table. On May 13, on the very first day of the US president's visit to China, historian Niall Ferguson said: “Trump wants détente. Xi wants Taiwan.”
The historian warned that Xi's speech about the inseparable ties between China and the island bore an alarming resemblance to the text written by Vladimir Putin in 2021, just before he invaded Ukraine.
Just a few days after the departure of the American leader, Vladimir Putin is also due to arrive in China for a two-day state visit.
