President Donald Trump said Friday that he gave no pledge to Chinese President Xi Jinping on the matter of Taiwan during their discussions and that he will soon make a decision on a $14 billion proposed arms package to the island.
Speaking with reporters aboard Air Force One while returning from China, Trump said, "On Taiwan he feels very strongly, I made no commitment either way." He added that he and Xi "talked a lot" about the topic and quoted the Chinese leader as saying that he "does not want to see a fight for independence, because that would be a very strong confrontation."
Trump told reporters he would "make a determination over the next fairly short period" after speaking to the person "that's running Taiwan," a reference he did not clarify by naming anyone. He reiterated that U.S. policy on Taiwan is unchanged and said he has not approved weapons for Taiwan yet.
Trump's remarks follow a public warning from Xi Jinping on Thursday about the potential consequences of mismanaging the Taiwan issue. Citing Xinhua News Agency, Xi said, "The Taiwan issue is the most important issue in China-US relations." He warned that if the matter is "mishandled, the two nations will experience collision or even clashes, pushing the entire China-US relationship into a highly dangerous situation."
In related comments, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday that the United States' long-standing approach to Taiwan remains intact, describing Washington's stance as supporting the island without formally recognizing its sovereignty. "It was raised, they always raise it on their side, we always make clear our position, and we move on to the other topics," Rubio told NBC.
China has objected to the pending US arms package to Taiwan and has asked Washington to make clear that it does not support the island's independence. The $14 billion proposal remains unresolved as the administration weighs its next steps.
The administration's immediate course is to await further discussions before making a determination on whether to approve the weapons sale. In the meantime, public statements from senior leaders of both nations underline the sensitivity of Taiwan in broader China-US relations and the potential diplomatic and strategic consequences tied to any change in policy or weapons approvals.