UPDATE: President Donald Trump announced that Chinese President Xi Jinping has assured him that China will not take any military action regarding Taiwan while he remains in office. This significant statement comes amid ongoing concerns over U.S.-China relations and the sensitive issue of Taiwan’s sovereignty.
During an interview on CBS’s “60 Minutes,” aired on October 29, 2023, Trump indicated that the topic of Taiwan was not discussed in his recent talks with Xi in South Korea. However, he expressed confidence in Xi’s assurances, saying, “He 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.”
This declaration comes as U.S. officials remain wary of potential military conflict over Taiwan, a self-governing democracy claimed by Beijing. The 1979 Taiwan Relations Act stipulates that while the U.S. is not legally bound to intervene militarily if China attacks, it is committed to ensuring Taiwan has the means to defend itself against any aggression from Beijing.
When pressed about whether he would deploy U.S. forces to defend Taiwan in case of an attack, Trump refrained from providing a definitive answer, stating, “You’ll find out if it happens, and he understands the answer to that.” This reflects the ongoing U.S. policy of “strategic ambiguity,” which aims to deter aggression without committing to a specific military response.
The Chinese embassy in Washington has yet to comment on Trump’s assertions, and the White House has not clarified when the assurances from Xi were made. The interview, filmed at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, marks his first appearance on the program since settling a lawsuit with CBS News over a previous interview.
This development is critical as tensions between the U.S. and China continue to rise, particularly regarding issues of trade and security in the Asia-Pacific region. Observers are keenly watching how these assurances from Xi will influence U.S.-China relations moving forward and whether they will hold true during Trump’s presidency.
As the situation evolves, experts advise staying informed about the implications of these statements on global security and economic stability. The next few months will be crucial in determining the trajectory of U.S.-China relations and the status of Taiwan.