President Donald Trump warned Taiwan not to assume it has unlimited military backing from the United States if tensions with China escalate into conflict following his recent summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
During an interview with Fox News host Bret Baier set to air on Special Report, Trump discussed his meetings with Xi and addressed concerns surrounding Taiwan, China and broader global security issues.
Baier asked Trump directly whether the people of Taiwan should feel safer or less secure after the high-stakes talks with the Chinese leader.
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“Neutral,” Trump responded. “This situation has existed for many years.”
Trump emphasized that official U.S. policy toward Taiwan has not changed but signaled that Washington does not want to encourage any push toward formal Taiwanese independence.
“Nothing has changed,” Trump explained. “But I’m not looking to have somebody go independent. We’re supposed to travel 9,500 miles to fight a war, and I’m not interested in that. I want Taiwan to calm down, and I want China to calm down too.”
The Taiwan issue reportedly became one of the most sensitive subjects during the summit in Beijing. According to Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning, Xi warned Trump that Taiwan could eventually lead to “clashes and even conflicts” between China and the United States.
Trump also declined to fully commit to approving a long-delayed $14 billion U.S. arms package for Taiwan that lawmakers had previously authorized.
When asked directly whether he would approve the weapons package, Trump avoided giving a definitive answer.
“I may do it, and I may not do it,” Trump told Baier. “We’re not looking for wars. If things stay the way they are, I think China can live with that. But we’re not looking for somebody to suddenly declare independence because they think the United States will automatically back them.”
China continues to claim Taiwan as part of its territory and strongly opposes American involvement in Taiwanese affairs, including military cooperation and weapons sales.
Although the United States does not formally recognize Taiwan as an independent country, Washington has maintained unofficial relations and continued providing defense support to the island for decades.
Trump also addressed the ongoing conflict involving Iran during the interview, rejecting criticism that his administration underestimated the difficulty of the military operation.
“I didn’t underestimate anything,” Trump said. “We hit them incredibly hard.”
The president claimed the United States has intentionally avoided escalating the situation further despite having the ability to inflict greater damage.
“We left their bridges and electricity systems intact,” Trump explained. “We could take all of that out within two days if we wanted.”
Trump compared the current Iran conflict to previous lengthy American military engagements overseas, arguing the present operation remains far shorter in comparison.
“Vietnam lasted 19 years. Iraq lasted about 10 years. Korea lasted seven years,” Trump said. “We’ve been involved here for only about two and a half months.”
The president also revealed he raised the case of jailed Hong Kong media businessman Jimmy Lai during his discussions with Xi. Lai, a pro-democracy figure and outspoken critic of the Chinese government, remains imprisoned in Hong Kong.
Trump confirmed he personally asked Xi to consider releasing Lai but admitted he was not optimistic about the response.
“I brought up Jimmy Lai, and honestly the reaction was not very positive,” Trump said. “I told Xi it would be a nice gesture because Lai is older now and probably not in great health, but I didn’t walk away feeling optimistic about that situation.”
Trump added that negotiations involving another detainee appear more promising and remain under discussion.
