TAIPEI — Taiwanese officials were watching carefully for signs of policy changes toward the island as President Donald Trump hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping for a state visit last week in Washington D.C. Xi’s visit was of high interest in Taiwan, a regular target of China’s threats. On Saturday, a panel that included scholars, a retired U.S. military officer, and Taiwan’s deputy foreign minister at the Institute for National Policy Research (INPR) in Taipei assessed what the third Trump–Xi meeting of Trump’s current term means for Taiwan.
Most expect no change in U.S. policy toward Taiwan. "Both of them got what they want and what they need," Kuo Yu-jen, INPR’s vice president and a professor at National Sun Yat-sen University’s Institute of China and Asia-Pacific Studies, told Fox News Digital. Trump can point to economic results from negotiating with Xi, while Xi can return to Beijing with the prestige of a high-profile U.S. reception, Kuo said.
He called claims by some that Trump had "sold out" Taiwan excessive speculation. XI PRAISES US STATE VISIT 'PERFECTION' AS TRUMP CALLS MEETINGS 'VERY PRODUCTIVE' As expected, Xi reportedly pressed Trump to say the United States opposes Taiwan independence. Washington’s preferred description is that it does not support Taiwan independence, a distinction that, much to the relief of Taiwan government officials, Trump maintained.
Speaking exclusively to Fox News Digital after the forum, Taiwan’s Deputy Foreign Minister François Wu said Beijing wants more than a change in diplomatic language. It wants the world to view Taiwan as a domestic Chinese issue. If that argument succeeds, Wu said, Beijing could claim other countries have no right to respond to its actions against the island.
"The so-called independence of Taiwan is just an issue made specifically by the Chinese government," Wu said. Taiwan already has a president and government elected by its people, territory and its own currency, he said. "We just don’t need to declare any independence.
We are a sovereign country." Wu had expressed concerns prior to Trump’s visit to China in May, when he told Bloomberg that "What we are most afraid of is to put Taiwan on the menu of the talk between Xi Jinping and President Trump." China’s Foreign Ministry claims Xi urged Trump to maintain the "correct position" to oppose Taiwan independence. Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry rushed out an objection on a public holiday in Taiwan, and repeated Taiwan’s own clear position on its sovereignty. CHINA DEPLOYED OVER 100 VESSELS NEAR TAIWAN IN THE WAKE OF TRUMP-XI SUMMIT, TAIWAN SECURITY OFFICIAL CLAIMS The White House summary of Xi’s visit announced no change in Taiwan policy and instead emphasized more favorable tariff treatment for US$30 billion in goods in each direction, an AI incident communication channel and U.S. concerns about rare earth and critical-mineral supplies.
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