Trump Reveals a Promise from the Chinese President Regarding Taiwan

U.S. President Donald Trump revealed a Chinese commitment not to invade Taiwan during his presidency, stating that his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping personally promised him not to take any military action against the island as long as he is in the White House.

Trump's remarks came during a television interview he conducted last Friday with the "Special Report" program on Fox News, ahead of his anticipated meeting in Alaska with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss developments in the Russian war in Ukraine.

Trump said:

"I don't believe that an invasion of Taiwan will happen in any way as long as I am here. We'll see. President Xi told me: (I won't do that as long as I am president), and I replied: (I appreciate that). But he also added: (I am very patient, and China is very patient)."

Although Trump did not specify the timing of these remarks from Xi, the two leaders had their first documented phone call during Trump's second term last June.

Trump mentioned in April that he received a call from Xi, without clarifying the date.

Taiwan is a highly sensitive sovereign issue for Beijing, which considers the self-governing democratic island an integral part of its territory and has pledged to "reunify it" by force if necessary.

In contrast, Taiwan strongly rejects these claims, asserting its actual independence, and enjoys significant diplomatic and military support from the United States, despite the absence of official relations between Washington and Taipei.

In this context, the Chinese embassy in Washington commented on the issue, describing Taiwan as "the most important and sensitive issue" in China-U.S. relations.

Embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyou said:

"The U.S. government must adhere to the one-China principle, respect the three joint communiqués between the two countries, and handle the Taiwan issue wisely, in a way that maintains China-U.S. relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait."

These remarks come at a time when Taiwan is experiencing internal political tension, as the island recently witnessed a historic vote to oust members of parliament amid accusations of Chinese interference in Taiwanese affairs, complicating the regional landscape further.