“Don’t Declare Independence!” – Trump Warns Taiwan After China Summit
Donald Trump has warned Taiwan against declaring independence from China.
“I’m not looking to have somebody go independent,” the US president told Fox News on Friday, at the end of his two-day summit with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Beijing.
Trump previously stated that he had “made no commitment either way” over the self-governing island, which China claims as part of its territory and has not ruled out capturing by force.
The United States has long supported Taiwan, including being required by law to supply it with a means of self-defence.
Trump appeared visibly rattled and upset by how the meeting in China went. He looked beaten and battered. He completely ignored questions about Taiwan and simply walked away.
— The Green Dragon Tavern (@greendragonhq) May 14, 2026
The American people deserve to know what was actually discussed. Why is China claiming the meeting was… pic.twitter.com/3Xo0oPrLJQ
TRUMP: I'm not looking to have someone go independent and we have to travel 9,500 to fight a war. I want Taiwan to cool down, I want China to cool down
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 15, 2026
BAIER: But you're waiting on approving billions of dollars of weapons for Taiwan. Is that moving forward?
TRUMP: Well, I… pic.twitter.com/IS8ukMdehB
However, it has frequently had to balance this alliance with its diplomatic relations with China.
Washington’s established position is that it opposes Taiwanese independence, with continued connections with Beijing reliant on its admission that there is only one Chinese government.
Many Taiwanese consider themselves to be part of a separate nation, though most are in favour of maintaining the status quo in which Taiwan neither declares independence from China nor unites with it.
In his interview with Fox News, Trump reiterated that US policy on the matter had not changed.
“You know, we’re supposed to travel 9,500 miles (1,530km) to fight a war. I’m not looking for that. I want them to cool down. I want China to cool down.”
Trump:
— Clash Report (@clashreport) May 15, 2026
On Taiwan, Xi doesn't want to see a movement for independence.
He says, “Look, you know, we've had it for thousands of years and then at a certain period of time it left that we were going to get it back. They had the Korean War. A lot of things happened and all this.”… pic.twitter.com/H5Rc0aA2pI
On the flight back to Washington, the US president had told reporters that he and Xi had spoken “a lot” about the island, but said he had declined to discuss whether the US would defend it.
Xi “feels very strongly” about the island and “doesn’t want to see a movement for independence”, Trump said.
“The Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-US relations,” Xi warned during the talks, according to Chinese state media.
Before adding: “If mishandled, the two nations could collide or even come into conflict.”
Asked if he foresaw a conflict with China over Taiwan, Trump had said: “No, I don’t think so. I think we’ll be fine. [Xi] doesn’t want to see a war.”
China has ramped up military drills around the island in recent years, raising tensions in the region and testing the balance that Washington has struck.
Trump left Beijing with “few wins” and “warm words.”
— 𝘊𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘦 (@OopsGuess) May 15, 2026
No Iran breakthrough.
No Taiwan concession.
No H200 deal.
No rare earth resolution.
No Jimmy Lai release.
A smaller-than-expected Boeing order.
And a banquet where Trump kept praising Xi.
Beautiful.
He came for leverage.… pic.twitter.com/PYzv5RUHgc
Late last year, the Trump administration announced an $11bn ($8bn) package of weapons to be sold to Taiwan, including advanced rocket launchers and a variety of missiles, which Beijing condemned.
Trump said he would soon decide whether that sale could go ahead, adding that he and Xi had discussed it “in great detail” and that he would speak to Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te first.
“I may do it. I may not do it,” he told Fox News.
“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. But we’re not looking to have somebody say, ‘Let’s go independent because the United States is backing us’.”
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The US has previously provoked anger from China for seeming to soften its stance on independence.
The State Department dropped a statement from its website reiterating Washington’s opposition to Taiwanese independence in February 2025 – something Beijing said “sends a wrong… signal to separatist forces”.
US officials in Taiwan said at the time: “We have long stated that we oppose any unilateral changes to the status quo from either side.”
Marco Rubio: I think China's preference is probably to have Taiwan willingly voluntarily join them. In a perfect world, what they would want is some vote or a referendum in Taiwan that agrees to fold in. I think that's what they would prefer
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) May 15, 2026
Translation: The Trump regime is… https://t.co/MRqNTMw5rN pic.twitter.com/VF2ORtnMuc
Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung said his team had been monitoring the US-China summit.
In maintaining good communication with the US and other countries, “to ensure the stable deepening of Taiwan-US relations and safeguard Taiwan’s interests”.
He said Taiwan had always been a “guardian of peace and stability” in the region and accused China of escalating risk with its “aggressive military actions and authoritarian oppression”.
“Don’t Declare Independence!” – Trump Warns Taiwan After China Summit
