Donald Trump has said the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, assured him that Beijing would not attempt to invade Taiwan while he remained in office.
The US president made the remarks in an interview with Fox News on Friday, ahead of scheduled talks with Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, over Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
“I will tell you, you know, you have a very similar thing with President Xi of China and Taiwan, but I don’t believe there’s any way it’s going to happen as long as I’m here. We’ll see,” Trump told Fox News’ Special Report.
According to Trump, Xi told him: “I will never do it as long as you’re president.” Trump added: “I said, ‘Well, I appreciate that’, but he also said, ‘But I am very patient and China is very patient’.”
Trump and Xi held their first confirmed call of Trump’s second presidential term in June. In April, Trump said Xi had also telephoned him but did not give details.
China regards Taiwan as part of its territory and has vowed to achieve “reunification” with the island, by force if necessary. Taiwan, which has its own government, rejects Beijing’s claims.
