Trump Claims Xi Assured No Chinese Invasion of Taiwan During His Presidency

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he received personal assurances from Chinese President Xi Jinping that China would not seek to invade Taiwan during Trump's tenure in office.

In an interview with Fox News, prior to his engagement with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, Trump revealed that Xi made this pledge in a private discussion.

“He told me, ‘I will never do it as long as you’re president,’” Trump stated. “I said, ‘Well, I appreciate that,’ and he also said, ‘But I am very patient, and China is very patient.’”

Trump expressed his confidence that China would refrain from any military action against Taiwan for the duration of his presidency.

China Reaffirms Taiwan as Core Issue

In response on Friday, the Chinese Embassy in Washington emphasized that Taiwan remains “the most important and sensitive issue” in the bilateral relations between the U.S. and China.

Embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu urged the U.S. government to adhere to the one-China principle and the three U.S.-China joint communiqués, managing Taiwan-related matters carefully to preserve China-U.S. relations and ensure peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

China considers Taiwan part of its territory and has not dismissed the possibility of using force to achieve what it terms “reunification.”

Taiwan Pushes Back

The Taiwanese government has not formally addressed Trump's comments. However, Wang Ting-yu, a prominent lawmaker from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), expressed on Facebook that while Taiwan appreciates support from allies, it must not depend solely on external assurances.

“Security cannot rely on the enemy’s promise, nor can it rely solely on the help from friends. Strengthening our own defense capability is fundamental,” Wang asserted.

Strategic Context

Trump and Xi had their first confirmed conversation of Trump’s second term in June 2025, after Trump's re-election.

The United States continues to be Taiwan’s primary arms supplier and foremost international supporter, despite the absence of formal diplomatic ties between Washington and Taipei.