US President Donald Trump on Friday claimed that Chinese President Xi Jinping assured him Taiwan would not face an invasion during his presidency.
In an interview with Fox News, Trump said he did not expect China to take any action against Taiwan while he remained in office.
“I will tell you, you know, you have a very similar thing with President Xi of China and Taiwan, but I don’t believe there’s any way it’s going to happen as long as I’m here. We’ll see,” Trump remarked.
According to Trump, Xi told him directly: “I will never do it as long as you’re president.”
China Reacts To Trump’s Remark
Following Trump’s remarks, the Chinese Embassy in Washington, in a statement issued Friday, called Taiwan “the most important and sensitive issue” in U.S.-China relations. It urged the United States to adhere to the one-China principle, stressing that Washington should “handle Taiwan-related matters with caution” and work to maintain stability in the Taiwan Strait as well as the broader U.S.-China relationship.
Taiwan Detects Chinese Aircraft, Naval Vessels Near Its Territory
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence (MND) reported increased Chinese military activity near the island. By 6 a.m. local time on Saturday, the MND said it had tracked 21 Chinese military aircraft and seven naval vessels operating in the vicinity of Taiwan.
According to the ministry, 13 of those aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered the island’s northern and southwestern Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ).
In a post on X, the MND stated: “21 sorties of PLA aircraft and 7 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 13 out of 21 sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan’s northern and southwestern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded accordingly.”
Just a day earlier, on Friday, Taiwan had also reported the presence of seven Chinese aircraft and two naval vessels near its territory.
China On Taiwan
China considers Taiwan a part of its territory and has vowed to “reunify” the self-ruled, democratic island, even by force if required. Taiwan, however, firmly rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims.