'Sovereign and independent democratic nation': Taiwan rejects subordination to China after Trump warning

Taiwan declared on Saturday that it is a 'sovereign and independent democratic nation' and ‘not subordinate to the People’s Republic of China’, hours after US President Donald Trump warned the island against formally declaring independence following his summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. The unusually direct exchange underscored the continuing volatility surrounding Taiwan, a self-ruled democracy that China claims as part of its territory and has vowed to annex, by force if necessary.

Trump, speaking to Fox News after concluding his state visit to China, said he did not want Taipei to provoke a conflict. “I’m not looking to have somebody go independent,” he told ‘Special Report with Bret Baier’. “We’re supposed to travel 9,500 miles to fight a war. I’m not looking for that.” “I want them to cool down. I want China to cool down,” Trump added. “We’re not looking to have wars, and if you kept it the way it is, I think China’s going to be OK with that.” Taiwan’s foreign ministry responded within hours, reiterating that the island already functions as an independent state. “Taiwan is a sovereign and independent democratic nation, and is not subordinate to the People’s Republic of China,” the ministry said in a statement.

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Beijing pressure and Washington’s balancing act

Taiwan sits at the centre of one of Asia’s most sensitive geopolitical flashpoints. While the United States formally recognises Beijing rather than Taipei, Washington remains Taiwan’s principal security partner under the Taiwan Relations Act, which requires the US to provide the island with defensive weapons.

China has sharply increased military pressure on Taiwan in recent years through large-scale air and naval exercises around the island. During his talks with Trump, Xi warned that missteps over Taiwan could trigger ‘conflict’. Taiwan President Lai Ching-te maintains that the island is already independent in practice, making any formal declaration unnecessary. Beijing, however, views Lai as a separatist figure.

According to AFP, Taiwan’s Presidential Office said on Saturday that Washington’s long-standing position had not changed, citing “multiple reaffirmations from the US side, including President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio”.

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Arms sales under scrutiny amid rising tensions

Ahead of the Beijing summit, Trump said he intended to discuss US arms sales to Taiwan with Xi, marking a notable shift from Washington’s previous insistence that such decisions would not be negotiated with China. Taiwan’s parliament recently approved a $25 billion defence spending package, much of it linked to American weapons purchases. Lawmakers say nearly $9 billion will fund part of an $11.1 billion arms package announced by Washington in December, with a second proposed package worth more than $15 billion still awaiting US approval.

Asked about future sales while travelling back to Washington on Friday, Trump said: “I’ll make a determination over the next fairly short period of time.” Taipei defended the purchases as essential to regional stability. Taiwan’s foreign ministry said US arms sales were “not only a US security commitment to Taiwan clearly stipulated in the Taiwan Relations Act, but also a form of joint deterrence against regional threats”.