US President Donald Trump advised Taiwan against declaring independence on 15/5, advocating for the maintenance of the status quo. "I do not want to see either side declare independence. You know, we are supposed to travel more than 15,000 km to fight. I do not want that. I want both them and China to de-escalate the situation," Trump said, referring to Taiwan.

China views Taiwan as an integral part of its territory, prepared to use all means for reunification. The US commits to the "one China" principle and does not officially support Taiwan's independence, yet it often avoids publicly opposing the island's independence. Under the Taiwan Relations Act, signed by president Jimmy Carter after Washington established diplomatic relations with Beijing in 1979, the US must support Taiwan's defense capabilities. Despite this, the US maintains a stance of strategic ambiguity regarding whether its military would intervene to aid the island. "We do not want war, and if the status quo remains as it is now, I think China will accept it," Trump added.

US President Donald Trump on Air Force One on 15/5. *Photo: AP*

These comments came as Trump returned from a ba-day state visit to China. According to him, Taiwan is the "most important" issue for Chinese President Xi Jinping. "We discussed that issue extensively. I believe I currently know more about Taiwan than almost any other territory," he stated. The White House chief also suggested China would not attack Taiwan during his term, but he suspected such a move could occur after he leaves office.

During the interview, Trump was cautious about how to refer to Taiwan. "We will call it a place, because no one knows how to define it, but they do not want to see the island independent," he said. Asked whether the people of Taiwan should feel more or less secure after his summit with Xi, President Trump replied they should maintain a "neutral" attitude. According to the US president, he has not yet approved a major arms deal for Taiwan. "We do not want someone to say 'Just declare independence because the US supports us'," Trump emphasized. Earlier, he stated he had refused to answer Xi Jinping's question about whether the US would defend Taiwan in a scenario where China attacks the island.

At the start of the summit in Beijing on 14/5, Xi urged the US to be "extremely cautious" in handling the Taiwan issue. "Taiwan is the most important issue in China-US relations. If not handled properly, the hai nations could face conflict or even confrontation, pushing the entire China-US relationship into an extremely dangerous position," the Chinese leader stated.

Chinese media did not mention Trump's discussions with his administration about Taiwan. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated in an interview that the issue was raised and "US policy on the Taiwan issue currently remains unchanged."

Huyen Le (According to AFP, CNN, CNBC)