United States President Donald Trump has cautioned Taiwan against formally declaring independence from China.
In an interview with Fox News just before concluding his state visit to China, Trump stated that the United States is not seeking conflict with China regarding the island.
“I’m not looking to have somebody go independent,” Trump remarked. “We’re not looking to have wars, and if you kept it the way it is, I think China’s going to be OK with that.”
The remarks came after high-level meetings in Beijing with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
During the interview, Trump also appeared to question the likelihood of direct U.S. military involvement in the event of a conflict over Taiwan.
“We’re supposed to travel 9,500 miles to fight a war. I’m not looking for that,” he said.
One of the most sensitive topics discussed during the talks between Xi and Trump was Taiwan, which Xi described as “the most important issue” in China-U.S. relations.
He warned that mishandling this issue could severely damage bilateral ties and potentially lead to confrontation.
“Taiwan independence and cross-Strait peace are as irreconcilable as fire and water,” Xi stated, urging the United States to approach the matter with caution.
While the United States officially recognises Beijing under the “One China” policy, Washington has historically maintained close unofficial ties with Taiwan and provides defensive support to the island.
Xi reportedly emphasised that “Taiwan independence” and peace across the Taiwan Strait are incompatible, urging Washington to handle the situation carefully.
“We Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one and the same family. No one can ever sever the bond of kinship between us,” Xi added.
Despite the tensions surrounding Taiwan, both leaders aimed to project stability in broader China-U.S. relations during Trump’s visit.
Trump has described the trip as successful and claimed progress on trade and economic cooperation.
He mentioned that China had agreed to purchase Boeing aircraft, American oil, and soybeans as part of efforts to strengthen commercial ties between the two countries.
“We’ve made some fantastic trade deals, great for both countries,” Trump said after informal discussions with Xi at Zhongnanhai, the Chinese leadership compound in central Beijing.
Xi described the visit as a “milestone” in bilateral relations and presented Trump with rose seeds for the White House Rose Garden, symbolising what both sides portrayed as improving personal diplomacy between the two leaders.
The visit concluded with both governments signalling a willingness to maintain communication and reduce friction between the world’s two largest economies, despite ongoing disagreements over trade, security, technology, and regional influence.
Meanwhile, Kuomintang officials in Taiwan argued that recent developments highlighted the risks of pursuing formal independence.
