Trump’s comment that Taiwan issue is ‘up to Xi’ stirs defence concern in Taipei

US President Donald Trump’s suggestion that the Taiwan issue is “up to” Chinese leader Xi Jinping has stirred fresh concerns about the United States’ defence commitment among some on the island. Responding to Trump’s remarks, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Friday that Taiwan was an inalienable part of China’s territory and that the Taiwan question was purely China’s internal affair. Mao said that resolving the Taiwan issue was a matter for the Chinese people alone and Beijing brooked no external interference. It followed Trump’s interview with The New York Times published on Thursday in which he rejected suggestions that his audacious operation targeting Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro could set a precedent that Beijing might apply to Taiwan. Maduro’s government posed a direct threat to the United States that Taiwan did not pose to Beijing, according to Trump. “This was a real threat,” he said of Venezuela, repeating his claim that Maduro had allowed criminals and drugs to pour into the United States. “You didn’t have people pouring into China. You didn’t have drugs pouring into China,” he said, adding that Taiwan had not opened its jails or sent criminals across borders. When pressed on Xi’s view of Taiwan as a separatist threat, Trump said: “That’s up to him, what he’s going to be doing.” But he added that he had told the Chinese leader he would be “very unhappy” with any move against the island. Beijing sees Taiwan as part of China to be reunited by force if necessary. Most countries, including the US, do not recognise Taiwan as an independent state, but Washington is opposed to any attempt to take the self-governed island by force and is committed to supplying it with weapons. Trump also suggested that Beijing would not act while he remained in office, saying he did not believe Xi would attack or choke off Taiwan during his presidency, which runs until 2029. As of Friday, Taiwanese officials have remained silent over Trump’s remarks, but scholars and opposition figures have argued that they deepened uncertainty over Washington’s security commitments to Taipei. James Yifan Chen, a professor of diplomacy and international relations at Tamkang University in New Taipei City, said Trump’s repeated emphasis that decisions on Taiwan were “up to Xi” suggested a move closer to strategic ambiguity. This was in contrast to former US president Joe Biden’s repeated statements that the United States would defend Taiwan, he noted. “Trump’s words will amplify the international perception that Washington may not be as committed to Taiwan’s defence as it was under Biden,” Chen said. Chen said the remarks implied a greater focus on managing crises after they erupted, rather than preventing them outright – a posture that could erode deterrence if Beijing concluded the political costs of using force were bearable. “This will also undermine confidence among Taiwanese voters,” Chen said, adding that it would prompt deeper doubts about whether the United States would “really assist Taiwan” in the event of an attack – particularly at a time when US arms sales were already lagging behind delivery schedules. Huang Huei-hua, director of Taiwan Global Talk, a Taipei-based think tank, said the remarks suggested Trump believed the risks of war over Taiwan were low. “At this stage, Trump does not appear to see an immediate risk of war in the Taiwan Strait,” she said. “That is why he says it is up to Xi – while adding that he would be unhappy if Xi chose to attack Taiwan.” US forces launched a strike in Venezuela on Saturday, seizing Maduro and his wife, and transferring them to New York, where they are expected to face a range of criminal charges, including alleged narcoterrorism, drug trafficking and weapons offences. The operation has sparked intense debate in Taiwan, with the island’s defence authorities seeking to strike a cautious tone. When asked on Monday whether the People’s Liberation Army might attempt a similar action across the Taiwan Strait, Hsu Szu-chien, the island’s deputy defence minister, said the military had planned and rehearsed for “all kinds of contingencies” under existing emergency-response regulations. Last week, the PLA conducted a two-day exercise near Taiwan, including simulations of joint operations designed to disrupt political and military command structures, heightening local anxieties. The drills followed Washington’s decision to sell Taiwan around US$11 billion in arms, reportedly the largest military sale to the island to date. Beijing condemned the sale, calling it a serious violation of its sovereignty and a dangerous signal to separatist forces. On the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in South Korea in October, Trump and Xi had their first face-to-face meeting since 2019. In a departure from previous encounters, Taiwan was not raised during their discussions. The two leaders agreed on an uneasy trade truce that temporarily eased tensions over rare earths exports and other trade disputes, with Trump later telling CBS that Xi made no mention of Taiwan during the October meeting. Trump added that Xi had previously assured him that Beijing would not take action against the island while he remained in the White House “because he fully understands the consequences”. Weeks after the summit, however, the self-ruled island was mentioned during a phone call between the two leaders. In the call, Xi told Trump that Taiwan’s return to China was essential for Beijing’s vision for the “post-war international order”, according to state news agency Xinhua. Xi stressed that while China and the US once fought together against fascism and militarism, the two powers today should work to safeguard the achievements of World War II, it said. Trump said both sides were working to fully implement the agreements reached at the Busan summit, acknowledging China’s key role in the war and the US understanding of the importance of the Taiwan issue for Beijing. Trump also confirmed that he had accepted Xi’s invitation to visit Beijing in April and had in turn invited the Chinese leader to make a state visit to the United States later in the year. The call came shortly after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi warned that a potential conflict over Taiwan could threaten Japan’s survival.

Trump’s comment that Taiwan issue is ‘up to Xi’ stirs defence concern in Taipei

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}In a New York Times interview, the US president says he does not believe the island would be attacked during his term

In a New York Times interview, the US president says he does not believe the island would be attacked during his term