President Donald Trump also mentioned the sensitive issue of Taiwan with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping during his state visit to China on Friday without making any commitments “one way or the other.”
Donald Trump warned Taiwan on Friday against any declaration of independence after Chinese President Xi Jinping sent him a message with a rare firmness. The American president made these remarks just before leaving Beijing, where his visit, although showcasing a certain stability between the two superpowers, did not lead to major breakthroughs, whether on trade or on Iran, an ally of China. “I don’t want anyone to declare independence, and you know, we would then have to travel 15,000 kilometers to go to war,” said the American president, according to an excerpt broadcast on Friday by Fox News.
On Thursday, with unusual firmness, his counterpart Xi Jinping had warned him: “The Taiwan issue is the most important in Sino-American relations. If handled properly, relations between the two countries (China and the United States) can remain generally stable. If mishandled, the two countries will clash, even go to war.” China considers 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 solution while reserving the right to use force. These exchanges on Taiwan may be the most prominent aspect of the summit in Beijing.
“Donald Trump got the images he wanted, and the Chinese were happy to give them to him. 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 abstain from any decision on arms sales to Taiwan in the near future.
Beijing and Washington agreed to continue implementing “all” existing trade agreements and to establish councils for trade and investment, said the Chinese foreign minister in a statement on Friday, after the meeting between the two heads of state. The American president, as emphatic as ever, spoke of “fantastic” trade deals and mentioned an order for 200 Boeing planes, which could be increased later but did not immediately lead to a statement from the aircraft manufacturer.
Donald Trump said he received encouraging words from Xi Jinping to help facilitate the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and promises not to deliver military equipment to Iran. However, official Chinese statements did not mention these commitments. China, on the other hand, highlighted that the leaders of the two rival powers agreed to engage in a “constructive strategic stable relationship.” “It is a historic visit that will be remembered,” said the Chinese president.
Donald Trump downplayed some areas of tension between the two superpowers, such as espionage, intellectual property issues, or cyberattacks blamed on China. When asked about this on Air Force One, he said, “What they do, you know, we do it too. We also spy on them like crazy. I told (Xi): +We’re doing a lot of things to you that you don’t even know about+.”
