Trump Discusses China and Taiwan
Former President Donald Trump stated that Chinese President Xi Jinping has assured him that China won’t invade Taiwan during his presidency, citing, “they know the consequences.”
In a recent interview on CBS’s “60 Minutes,” Trump mentioned that their meeting on Thursday didn’t touch on Taiwan. He expressed confidence that Beijing will refrain from military actions regarding the island while he remains in office.
“He never brought it up. People were a little surprised by that. But they understand what’s gonna happen. [Xi] has openly said, and his people have openly said at meetings, ‘We would never do anything while President Trump is president,’ because they know the consequences,” Trump explained.
When asked whether the U.S. would intervene militarily if China chose to invade Taiwan, Trump referred to the “strategic ambiguity” maintained by the United States, not confirming either course of action.
“You’ll find out if it happens and [Xi] understands the answer to that,” he added.
The Taiwan Relations Act, established in 1979, requires the U.S. to help Taiwan with its defense but does not mandate military involvement should China attack.
This meeting was the first face-to-face interaction between the two leaders since 2019, primarily focusing on trade agreements and mitigating tariff tensions.
During the conversation, the president agreed to reduce tariffs on Chinese goods from 57% to 47%, while China promised to reopen access to rare earth minerals and resume purchasing U.S. soybeans. However, the deal hasn’t been finalized yet.
On the other side, concerns about a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan have intensified, especially given the surge in large-scale military drills simulating an invasion and blockade.
The Chinese military has notably increased both the frequency and complexity of its exercises encircling the island, escalating regional tensions.
In reaction, Taiwan has raised its defense budget by about 75% over the last two years, proportionally dedicating a significant share of its government funds to defense, even more so than the United States.
