US President Donald Trump stated in a Friday interview with Fox News that Chinese President Xi Jinping told him he would not invade Taiwan as long as Trump is president. The two leaders held their first confirmed call of Trump’s second term in June.
“He told me, ‘I will never do it as long as you’re president,'” Trump said, adding, “‘But I am very patient, and China is very patient.'” Trump had also mentioned in April that he had received a call from Xi, but did not specify the date.
China considers Taiwan to be its own territory and has vowed to “reunify” with the democratic island, by force if necessary. Taiwan, however, strongly objects to China’s claims of sovereignty. The Chinese Embassy in Washington issued a statement on Friday, stating that Taiwan is the “most important and sensitive issue” in US-China relations and urged the US to handle the matter “prudently.”
While the US is Taiwan’s primary arms supplier and international backer, the two countries do not have formal diplomatic ties.