US President Donald Trump on Friday said that Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) told him China would not invade Taiwan while Trump is in office.
Trump made the remarks in an interview with Fox News, ahead of talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
“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 said during an interview on Fox News’ Special Report.
“He told me: ‘I will never do it as long as you’re president.’ President Xi told me that, and I said: ‘Well, I appreciate that,’ but he also said: ‘But I am very patient, and China is very patient,’” Trump said.
Trump and Xi held their first confirmed call of Trump’s second presidential term in June.
In Taipei, Taiwanese academics said Trump’s remarks might reflect the “performative” nature of his diplomacy, which is often preoccupied with projecting an image of personal strength.
Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a researcher at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said Xi was more likely to have made a vague comment rather than a formal pledge, if he made any promise at all.
Shen added that Beijing’s promises of peace are meaningless, as China would not hesitate to tear up any agreement if it decided to seize Taiwan by force.
Taiwan must continue to closely monitor China’s military capabilities and strategic conditions to assess the likelihood of an invasion, he said.
Prospect Foundation deputy executive director Song Cheng-en (宋承恩) said that Trump had avoided mentioning Taiwan in the past, typically limiting his remarks to his cordial personal relations with Xi or trade cooperation with China.
This was the first time that he mentioned Taiwan in a positive manner, showing he is cognizant of the importance of peace across the Taiwan Strait, Song said.
If Trump’s account is accurate, it suggests Washington and Beijing have candidly discussed the possibility of a Chinese military assault on Taiwan, he added.
Xi’s reported comment that he had “patience” highlighted that he did not deny intentions to invade Taiwan, but is simply biding his time, he said.
This is a dangerous signal, as it reveals that China is no longer concealing its ambitions and that Washington is fully aware of this trajectory, he added.
Taiwan cannot afford to lower its guard simply because of Trump’s “guarantee,” Song said.
The nation must continue to strengthen its self-defense capabilities to ensure Beijing understands that any rash action would come at a high cost, which would help prevent Taiwan from being reduced to a bargaining chip between major powers, he said.
The Chinese embassy in Washington on Friday described the topic of Taiwan as “the most important and sensitive issue” in China-US relations, adding the US government should adhere to the “one China” principle and the three US-China joint communiques.
While the US is a top military equipment supplier to Taipei, the US has traditionally avoided making an explicit security guarantee, instead maintaining a policy of strategic ambiguity.
Additional reporting by Bloomberg
Taiwan is gearing up to celebrate the New Year at events across the country, headlined by the annual countdown and Taipei 101 fireworks display at midnight. Many of the events are to be livesteamed online. See below for lineups and links: Taipei Taipei’s New Year’s Party 2026 is to begin at 7pm and run until 1am, with the theme “Sailing to the Future.” South Korean girl group KARA is headlining the concert at Taipei City Hall Plaza, with additional performances by Amber An (安心亞), Nick Chou (周湯豪), hip-hop trio Nine One One (玖壹壹), Bii (畢書盡), girl group Genblue (幻藍小熊) and more. The festivities are to
Auckland rang in 2026 with a downtown fireworks display launched from New Zealand’s tallest structure, Sky Tower, making it the first major city to greet the new year at a celebration dampened by rain, while crowds in Taipei braved the elements to watch Taipei 101’s display. South Pacific countries are the first to bid farewell to 2025. Clocks struck midnight in Auckland, with a population of 1.7 million, 18 hours before the famous ball was to drop in New York’s Times Square. The five-minute display involved 3,500 fireworks launched from the 240m Sky Tower. Smaller community events were canceled across New Zealand’s
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday said it is closely monitoring developments in Venezuela, and would continue to cooperate with democratic allies and work together for regional and global security, stability, and prosperity. The remarks came after the US on Saturday launched a series of airstrikes in Venezuela and kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who was later flown to New York along with his wife. The pair face US charges related to drug trafficking and alleged cooperation with gangs designated as terrorist organizations. Maduro has denied the allegations. The ministry said that it is closely monitoring the political and economic situation
‘SLICING METHOD’: In the event of a blockade, the China Coast Guard would intercept Taiwanese ships while its navy would seek to deter foreign intervention China’s military drills around Taiwan this week signaled potential strategies to cut the nation off from energy supplies and foreign military assistance, a US think tank report said. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) conducted what it called “Justice Mission 2025” exercises from Monday to Tuesday in five maritime zones and airspace around Taiwan, calling them a warning to “Taiwanese independence” forces. In a report released on Wednesday, the Institute for the Study of War said the exercises effectively simulated blocking shipping routes to major port cities, including Kaohsiung, Keelung and Hualien. Taiwan would be highly vulnerable under such a blockade, because it
RSS