President Donald Trump said on his flight back from China that he raised the issue of U.S. arms sales to Taiwan during meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing and that a decision on the sales would be made soon.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, the president said he and Xi "talked a lot about Taiwan" and characterized the talks as not reflecting conflict over the issue. He emphasized that he did not make any commitments to Xi on Taiwan-related matters.
Trump also said that Xi asked him directly whether the United States would defend Taiwan in the event of an attack by China. Trump said he declined to answer the question and framed the response as a personal prerogative, saying, "There's only one person that knows that, and it is me. I'm the only person." He added, "That question was asked to me today by President Xi. I said, I don't talk about that."
Details reported by the president
According to Trump, the Taiwan issue was a substantive topic during the Beijing discussions, which are the basis for his remark that a decision on U.S. arms sales to the island will be forthcoming. He reiterated that no commitments were exchanged with Xi on Taiwan matters during those conversations.
China regards Taiwan as its own territory and has a long-standing opposition to U.S. weapons shipments to the island, viewing such transfers as interference in its internal affairs. The United States does not maintain formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, yet Washington remains Taiwan's most important international backer and its largest supplier of arms.
Context and immediate takeaways
- Trump publicly confirmed that Taiwan was a major topic in talks with Xi in Beijing and signaled a near-term decision on arms sales to Taiwan.
- He said he made no pledges to Xi and declined to respond when asked directly whether the United States would defend Taiwan if China attacked.
- The comments underscore Taiwan's role as a sensitive point in U.S.-China relations and reflect continued strategic ambiguity from the U.S. executive.
Trump's remarks came as he returned on Air Force One from his trip to China, where the Taiwan discussion was among the issues raised during bilateral talks.