Trump says Xi Jinping knows ‘consequences’ if China invades Taiwan, did not raise issue in meeting

President Donald Trump has said that Chinese President Xi Jinping understands the consequences if China invades Taiwan, but refused to specifically commit that the US would defend the island. On being asked in an interview with CBS News if he would order US forces into action if China moved militarily on Taiwan, Trump said, “You’ll find out if it happens, and he understands the answer to that.” Declining to share the response by the US if China were to invade the island, Trump said, “I can’t give away my secrets.”

Days after meeting Xi Jinping in South Korea and announcing a temporary trade truce with Beijing, the US president insisted that China would not take military action against Taiwan as long as he is in the Oval Office.

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Trump further said that the Taiwan issue did not come up during his meeting with Xi and that Chinese officials “know the consequences” of taking military action against Taiwan.

“He never brought it up. People were a little surprised at that,” Trump said. “But they understand what’s gonna happen. 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.”

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The self-ruled island of Taiwan functions as a vibrant democracy but is claimed by Beijing as part of its sovereign territory under the “One China” policy, and remains the most sensitive fault line in US-China relations.

China has been vowing reunification, by force if needed, while the US supports Taiwan’s defence capabilities through arms sales and security cooperation. Taiwan is also a hub of global supply chains in advanced technology, particularly semiconductors, which power everything from smartphones to fighter jets, and counterbalances China’s influence.

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Besides Taiwan, the South China Sea, which is vital to global commerce, is also a point of contention in the Indo-Pacific region. China asserts claims over almost the entire sea through its so-called “Nine-Dash Line,” which overlaps with the maritime territories of Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei.

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Moreover, Beijing has also built artificial islands, installed runways and radar systems, and deployed military assets in disputed zones like the Paracel and Spratly Islands and has been criticised for its actions.

Washington says the sea’s routes must remain open under international law and conducts regular “freedom of navigation” operations to challenge “unlawful” maritime claims.

WATCH: Breaking: Trump: Xi knows consequences if China invades Taiwan