US President Donald Trump has cautioned Taiwan against formally declaring independence from China, reiterating Washington’s long-standing position on the sensitive issue, according to the BBC.
Speaking to Fox News as reported by the BBC, after concluding a two-day summit in Beijing with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump said, “I’m not looking to have somebody go independent.”
Trump said he wanted tensions over Taiwan to “cool down” and stressed that US policy had not changed. “We’re supposed to travel 9,500 miles to fight a war. I’m not looking for that. I want China to cool down,” he said.
The remarks came amid growing tensions between China and Taiwan. Beijing claims the self-ruled island as part of its territory and has not ruled out using force to take control.
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te has previously said Taiwan does not need to formally declare independence because it already considers itself a sovereign nation.
On his return flight to Washington, Trump told reporters he and Xi had discussed Taiwan extensively but said he declined to comment on whether the US would defend the island in the event of conflict.
According to Chinese state media quoted by the BBC, Xi warned that the Taiwan issue was “the most important issue in China-US relations” and cautioned that mishandling it could lead to conflict between the two nations.
