Former President Donald Trump recently disclosed that Chinese President Xi Jinping has personally guaranteed him that China will refrain from any action towards unifying Taiwan with the mainland during Trump’s term in office. Trump noted that the highly sensitive Taiwan issue was not a primary focus of his discussions with Xi in South Korea, which predominantly revolved around trade relations between the U.S. and China. Nevertheless, the American leader expressed unwavering confidence in China’s commitment, stating, "He has openly said, and his people have openly said at meetings, ‘We would never do anything while President Trump is president,’ because they know the consequences." This revelation came during an interview with CBS’s "60 Minutes."
For years, U.S. officials have harbored significant concerns about the potential for China to use military force against Taiwan, the self-governed democratic island that Beijing asserts is part of its territory. The 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, which forms the bedrock of U.S. relations with Taiwan, does not mandate military intervention if China invades. Instead, it commits the U.S. to ensuring Taiwan possesses the necessary resources for self-defense and aims to prevent any unilateral changes to the island’s status by Beijing.
When questioned about whether he would command U.S. forces to defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese attack, Trump chose not to provide a definitive answer. The United States, under both Republican and Democratic administrations, has consistently maintained a policy of "strategic ambiguity" regarding Taiwan, intentionally avoiding a clear declaration of whether it would militarily assist the island in such a scenario. "You’ll find out if it happens, and he understands the answer to that," Trump remarked concerning President Xi.
Neither the Chinese embassy in Washington nor the White House immediately provided further details regarding when or how President Xi or other Chinese officials conveyed this assurance to Trump about refraining from military action on Taiwan during his presidency. The "60 Minutes" interview, recorded in Florida, marked Trump’s initial appearance on the program since resolving a lawsuit with CBS News following an interview featuring Kamala Harris. The remainder of the interview was slated to air later that Sunday.