Xi Jinping called on Trump to oppose Taiwan's independence
During a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, Chinese leader Xi Jinping called on Washington to oppose Taiwanese independence. This was reported by the Chinese state news agency Xinhua following talks at the White House, while the U.S. side had not yet released its own account of that part of the conversation.
Chinese President Xi Jinping raised the issue of Taiwan during a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House. The talks took place on September 24 in Washington as part of the Chinese leader’s state visit to the United States. According to the Chinese state news agency Xinhua, Xi called on the U.S. side to maintain its stance against “Taiwan independence” and to handle the Taiwan issue with caution. “China hopes that the U.S. side will maintain the correct stance on opposing ‘Taiwan independence’ and handle the Taiwan issue with caution,” Xi said, according to Xinhua.
The Chinese leader also emphasized that Beijing’s stance on preserving the country’s territorial integrity and national unity remains unchanged. At the same time, the White House did not release a separate report immediately after the meeting that would confirm or elaborate on this part of the talks. Therefore, for now, the main source regarding Xi’s statement on Taiwan is the Chinese side.
Why Taiwan Is Important to China
Beijing considers Taiwan part of its territory and opposes any steps that could lead to the island formally declaring independence. Taiwan effectively has its own government, a democratic political system, and autonomous authorities. At the same time, China does not recognize it as a separate state and insists on the “One China” principle.
For the U.S., the Taiwan issue is one of the most complex in its relations with Beijing. Washington supports Taiwan and supplies it with weapons, but at the same time does not recognize the island as an independent state and adheres to a policy of strategic ambiguity regarding exactly how the U.S. would respond to a potential military conflict. Taiwan also remains a key issue in U.S.-China military relations. On the eve of the Trump-Xi meeting, the island conducted large-scale military exercises involving missiles and drones.
What Else Did Trump and Xi Discuss?
Taiwan was just one of the topics discussed by the American and Chinese leaders. The meeting is taking place against the backdrop of complex relations between the two countries, where trade, tariffs, artificial intelligence, and other technologies remain key issues. During his visit, Xi stated that China and the U.S. should be partners, not rivals. He also called for keeping competition between the countries within limits that would help avoid serious confrontation.
For Trump, the meeting with Xi is part of his efforts to maintain direct dialogue with the Chinese leadership. The two presidents have already met this year, and Xi’s current visit to the U.S. has become one of the key diplomatic events of the fall. Separately, on the eve of the meeting, it was reported that China might raise the issue of U.S. arms sales to Taiwan. This issue remains one of the main sources of tension between Washington and Beijing.
It is currently unknown whether Trump and Xi agreed on any specific changes to U.S. policy toward Taiwan. The only thing publicly confirmed is that Xi called on the U.S. to oppose the island’s independence, while the U.S. side had not issued a separate statement regarding this remark as of the time of publication. This was reported by The Guardian.
On September 24, U.S. President Donald Trump hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House in Washington. Following the bilateral meeting, Trump stated that it had been very successful. He had previously described his relationship with the Chinese leader as a truly great friendship.
