Taiwan’s foreign ministry condemned Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s comments to U.S. President Donald Trump regarding the island’s future, calling them a distortion of facts and an unilateral attempt to impose Beijing’s position.
Xi Urges Shift in U.S. Stance
According to a Chinese readout, Xi Jinping told Trump during their meeting in Washington that he hoped the United States would adhere to the “correct position” of opposing Taiwan independence. This framing goes further than the long-standing U.S. policy of not explicitly supporting independence, though no immediate White House response confirmed the exchange.
China claims Taiwan as its own territory, a position the island’s government rejects.
Taiwan Rejects Beijing’s Claims
The foreign ministry of Taiwan responded with a sharp rebuttal, stating that the island’s sovereignty belongs to its people and cannot be dictated by external powers. It emphasized that the Chinese Communist Party has no right to represent the Taiwanese people.
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President Lai Ching-te has previously asserted that Taiwan is already an independent country under the formal name Republic of China. The government relocated to Taiwan in 1949 following the Chinese Civil War, when the Nationalist government retreated after losing to Mao Zedong’s communists, who established the People’s Republic of China.
U.S.-China Trends Complicate Support
Allies including Japan have expressed concern over potential concessions. Following a meeting with Xi in Beijing in May, Trump mentioned pausing a package of arms sales to Taiwan, describing it as a “negotiating chip” in broader trade talks. The US is seeking to secure Chinese purchases of Boeing planes and farm goods, and Washington also views China as uniquely able to exert pressure on Iran to bring an end to the war that has dragged Trump’s approval rating to a record low.
James Chen, an associate professor of diplomacy and international relations at Taiwan’s Tamkang University, said Trump does not wish to see Taipei become an obstacle to achieving a broader and more full agreement with Beijing. That said, “Trump has not yet shown any intention to trade Taiwan for a major strategic gain,” he added.
In their statement rebuking Xi’s comments, Taiwan’s foreign ministry said China was the “true disruptor” of regional peace and stability, pointing to its military activities around the island and in the East and South China Seas. Taiwan will continue to work closely with the United States and other like-minded partners to jointly safeguard peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, it added.
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