Beijing: President Donald Trump has warned Taiwan not to declare formal independence after finishing a state visit to China, where leader Xi Jinping urged him to limit US support for the self-ruled island nation, AFP reported.
Trump called the trip “fantastic” for trade but left Beijing with no clear progress on his stalled campaign against Iran. He invited Xi to visit Washington in September, a move that signals both countries want stable relations.
On Taiwan, Trump was clear. He told Fox News host Brett Baier, “I’m not looking to have somebody go independent. And, you know, we’re supposed to travel 9,500 miles to fight a war. I’m not looking for that.”
“I want them to cool down. I want China to cool down,” he said. “We’re not looking to have wars, and if you kept it the way it is, I think China’s going to be OK with that.”
The United States officially recognizes only Beijing and does not support Taiwan declaring formal independence. But the US has been vague about whether it would defend Taiwan with troops. US law does require America to provide weapons to Taiwan for self-defence.
Xi began the talks by warning that mishandling Taiwan could push the two countries into “conflict.” Taiwan’s president, Lai Ching-te, says Taiwan is already independent and does not need to make a formal declaration.
‘Fantastic’ Deals, No Details
Trump said China had agreed to buy 200 “big” Boeing jets as well as American oil and soybeans. “We’ve made some fantastic trade deals, great for both countries,” he said after walking with Xi among rosebushes in the Zhongnanhai gardens next to Beijing’s Forbidden City. “We’ve settled a lot of different problems that other people wouldn’t have been able to solve,” he added.
Xi called the trip a “milestone visit” and said he would send rose seeds for the White House Rose Garden. But no companies or Chinese officials announced any formal trade deals, and Beijing’s public comments were much quieter than Trump’s praise.
Jacob Stokes, a senior fellow at the Centre for a New American Security, said the trip was mainly about image. “Trump got the optics he was looking for and the Chinese were happy to give them to him,” Stokes said.
No Breakthrough On Iran
On Iran, Trump said Xi told him China was not preparing military aid to Tehran. China’s foreign ministry said “shipping lanes should be reopened as soon as possible.” Trump also said he could not persuade Xi to free Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai. “He told me, Jimmy Lai is a tough one for him to do,” Trump said.
Bonnie Glaser of the German Marshall Fund said China likely sees Lai as a low US priority. “What Trump seems to want most is purchases of American products — that appears to be his highest priority,” she said.
On Beijing’s streets, reaction was muted. “This meeting could be considered a success — though, to be honest, none of us really had very high expectations to begin with,” said Zhang Yong, a 46-year-old IT worker, to AFP.
