US President Donald Trump has revealed that Chinese leader Xi Jinping assured him during their meeting last week that Beijing will not attempt to unify Taiwan with mainland China as long as he remains in office.
According to Trump, during their face-to-face meeting for the first time in six years, the issue of Taiwan "never even came up". The conversation instead focused on US-China trade tensions. In an interview with CBS's 60 Minutes program that aired on Sunday, Trump stated that Xi has openly said China would not take action on Taiwan while he is president because they are aware of the consequences.
When asked if he would order US forces into action if China moved militarily on Taiwan, Trump demurred, saying that "you'll find out" if it happens and adding that Xi understands the answer to that.
The 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, which governs US relations with Taiwan, does not require the US to intervene militarily but makes it policy for the US to ensure Taiwan has resources to defend itself and prevent any unilateral change of status by Beijing.
However, Trump's comments have raised concerns about the potential implications of his meeting with Xi. US officials have long been worried about the possibility of China using military force against Taiwan, which Beijing claims as part of its territory.
According to Trump, during their face-to-face meeting for the first time in six years, the issue of Taiwan "never even came up". The conversation instead focused on US-China trade tensions. In an interview with CBS's 60 Minutes program that aired on Sunday, Trump stated that Xi has openly said China would not take action on Taiwan while he is president because they are aware of the consequences.
When asked if he would order US forces into action if China moved militarily on Taiwan, Trump demurred, saying that "you'll find out" if it happens and adding that Xi understands the answer to that.
The 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, which governs US relations with Taiwan, does not require the US to intervene militarily but makes it policy for the US to ensure Taiwan has resources to defend itself and prevent any unilateral change of status by Beijing.
However, Trump's comments have raised concerns about the potential implications of his meeting with Xi. US officials have long been worried about the possibility of China using military force against Taiwan, which Beijing claims as part of its territory.
, I'm kinda surprised Xi Jinping would make such a deal without pushing for reunification... Interesting 
how Trump seems to be downplaying the whole situation and keeping mum on whether he'd intervene if China went all in on Taiwan 
. It's like he thinks Xi's word is law now? 
. I mean, think about it - we're basically telling our allies that they don't need to worry because the other guy won't bother them... yet 
. What's to say Xi Jinping changes his mind after he leaves office? It feels like we're putting all our eggs in one basket here and hoping for the best 
. And what about the Taiwan Relations Act - is it just a nice-to-have or do we actually have a plan in place if things go south? I wish Trump would give us some real clarity on this instead of just saying "you'll find out" 
.
It's like saying "we'll leave the lights on for you" and then turning them off 
. I'm not sure if I trust Xi's word on this one... what if there's a change of power or something? 
It's also weird that Trump didn't push harder on this issue, considering how much it affects US interests in the region 
. Anyway, hope China keeps its promise 
and we can all sleep better tonight 
...
"Diplomacy has made me an expert at patience." - Theodore Roosevelt
.