Trump cautions Taiwan against Independence following China Summit

By: Eugene Dogbatse Atsu
United States President Donald Trump has urged Taiwan to avoid any move toward formal independence.

Warning that rising tensions in the region could threaten peace between the United States and China.

Speaking in an interview with Fox News on Friday, May 15, after a two-day summit with Xi, Trump said the United States was not interested in backing any move that could heighten tensions between Taiwan and China.

“I’m not looking to have somebody go independent,” Trump said, while stressing the need for peace and stability in the region.

The US president explained that Washington wants to avoid a military confrontation and urged both China and Taiwan to ease tensions. He added that he believed maintaining the current arrangement between the two sides would help preserve peace.

Taiwan remains one of the most sensitive issues in China-US relations. While Taiwan governs itself independently, China views the island as part of its territory and has repeatedly vowed to oppose any attempt at formal independence, including the possible use of force.

During the summit, Xi reportedly warned Trump that the Taiwan issue remains the most important matter in relations between both nations and cautioned that mishandling it could trigger conflict.

The United States maintains unofficial ties with Taiwan and is required by law to support its self-defence, despite officially recognising Beijing as China’s government.

Trump, however, avoided confirming whether the US would step in militarily if China invaded Taiwan, saying he had made “no commitment either way” during discussions with Xi.

Taiwan’s President, Lai Ching-te, has long maintained that Taiwan already considers itself sovereign and therefore does not need to formally declare independence.

Meanwhile, Taiwan’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Chen Ming-chi, said the government would assess Trump’s comments while reaffirming that US arms support remains key to regional peace and security.

The development comes amid increasing military activity by China around Taiwan and growing international concerns over stability in the Indo-Pacific region.