President Trump has also declared Friday to have discussed the sensitive issue of Taiwan with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping during his state visit in China, without making any commitment “in one way or another.” Donald Trump warned Taiwan on Friday against any declaration of independence, following a strong message from Chinese President Xi Jinping. The American president made these remarks just before leaving Beijing, where his visit, while showcasing a certain stability between the two superpowers, did not lead to major breakthroughs, either on trade or on Iran, China’s ally. “I don’t want someone to declare independence and then we are supposed to travel 15,000 kilometers to wage war,” said the American president, as reported by a segment broadcast on Friday by Fox News.
On Thursday, with unusual firmness, Xi Jinping had warned his counterpart, “The issue of Taiwan is the most important in Sino-American relations. If handled well, relations between the two countries (China and the United States) can remain overall stable. If mishandled, the two countries will clash or even go to war.” China views Taiwan as one of its provinces, which it has not been able to unify with the rest of its territory since the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949. It advocates for a peaceful resolution while reserving the possibility of using force. These discussions on Taiwan may be the most striking aspect of the summit in Beijing.
“Possessing the images he wanted, Donald Trump and the Chinese were happy to oblige. According to me, it was more about reinforcing the dynamics between the two countries than obtaining specific results,” noted Jacob Stokes, an expert at the Center for a New American Security. Xi Jinping’s announced visit to Washington in the fall will serve as another test for the fragile status quo between the first and second world powers. Bonnie Glaser, from the German Marshall Fund, believes that China will strongly push for Donald Trump to refrain from making any decisions regarding arms sales to Taiwan in the future.
Beijing and Washington have agreed to continue implementing all existing trade agreements and to establish trade and investment councils, as declared by the Chinese foreign minister in a statement after the meeting between the two heads of state. President Trump, as emphatic as ever, also talked about “fantastic” trade deals and mentioned an order of 200 Boeing planes, which could be increased later, but this did not immediately result in a statement from the aircraft manufacturer. Donald Trump also mentioned receiving encouraging words from Xi Jinping to help in the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, as well as promises not to supply military equipment to Iran. Official Chinese statements, however, did not mention these points. China, on the other hand, highlighted the fact that the leaders of the two rival powers agreed to engage in a “constructive strategic stable relationship.” “This is a historic visit that will be remembered,” said the Chinese president.
Donald Trump, on his part, downplayed certain tensions between the two superpowers, such as issues of espionage, intellectual property, or cyberattacks attributed to China. When asked about this aboard Air Force One, he remarked, “What they do, you know, we do it too. We also spy on them like crazy. I told (Xi): ‘We are doing a lot of things to you that you have no idea about.'”
