US President Donald Trump on Friday warned Taiwan against declaring formal independence after concluding his visit to China, whose leader Xi Jinping had pressured him not to support the self-ruled island.
Trump ended his state visit claiming to have made “fantastic” trade deals.though details were sketchy, and he did not appear to have secured any progress with China on his stalled war against Iran.
Trump invited Xi for a reciprocal visit to Washington in September, signaling that both sides are likely to seek stability in the often tumultuous relationship between the world’s two largest economies.
In a key issue for Xi, Trump made clear that he opposed a declaration of independence from Taiwan and appeared to question why the United States would defend the island in the event of an attack.
“I’m not asking for anybody to go independent. And, you know, we have to travel 9,500 miles to fight a war. I’m not asking for that,” he said on Fox News’ “Special Report with Bret Baier.”
“I want them to cool down. I want China to cool down,” Trump said.
“We’re not looking to have wars, and if you keep it the way it is, I think China will be okay with that.”
The United States only recognizes Beijing and does not support formal Taiwan independence, but historically has not explicitly said it opposes independence.
Under US law, the United States is required to provide arms to Taiwan for its own defense, but it has been unclear whether US forces will come to the island’s aid.
Xi had started the summit with a warning to Taiwanwhose president Lai Ching-te considers the island now independent, making a declaration unnecessary.
Xi told Trump that mistakes on the sensitive issue could cause “conflict”.
Referring to comments by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said US policy toward Taipei was unchanged, Taiwan’s foreign ministry thanked the United States for showing that it “supports and values the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait.”
No details on ‘fantastic’ offers
On Friday, Boeing confirmed that China had made an “initial commitment” to buy 200 planes, a deal previously announced by Trump. The company said more orders may follow.
Trump also said Beijing would buy US oil and soybeans.
“We’ve made some fantastic trade deals, great for both countries,” he said after a walk with Xi in the gardens of Zhongnanhai, a central executive complex near Beijing’s Forbidden City.
“We’ve solved a lot of different problems that other people wouldn’t be able to solve,” Trump added, without elaborating.
Xi promised to send Trump rose seeds for the White House Rose Garden and said it was a “historic visit”.
But beyond Boeing, there were no other official announcements from the companies or from China about the trade deals.
The reservation from the Chinese side echoes the tone of the summit as a whole, where Trump’s overtures to Xi – whom he described as a “great leader” and “friend” – were met with a more muted response.
“Trump got the optics he was looking for, and the Chinese were happy to give it to him,” said Jacob Stokes, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security.
A little about Iran
Trump had delayed the trip once because of the war in Iran, which has defied his calls for a peace deal and retaliated by wresting control over the key Strait of Hormuz, sending global oil prices soaring.
Trump said Xi had assured him that China was not preparing military aid for Iran. Israel has claimed that Beijing has provided Tehran with key missile technology.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Friday issued a statement on Iran saying “transportation lanes should be reopened as soon as possible”.
Trump also acknowledged this he could not convince Xi to release Jimmy Laithe jailed Hong Kong pro-democracy media mogul whose cause is widely supported in Washington.
“He told me that Jimmy Lai is difficult for him,” Trump told reporters.
Bonnie Glaser, managing director of the German Marshall Fund’s Indo-Pacific program, noted that Trump had already sounded half-hearted in his public comments about Lai.
“My sense is that the Chinese see that this is not a top priority for the United States,” she said.
“What Trump seems to want most is purchases of American products — that seems to be his highest priority.”
The two leaders were expected to discuss extending the year-long tariff truce that halted their raging 2025 trade war during their last meeting in October.
But Trump told reporters on the way home that “it wasn’t mentioned.”
