Donald Trump Calls Taiwan A 'Difficult Problem', Warns Against Formal Independence After Xi Jinping Summit | VIDEO

Donald Trump described Taiwan as a “difficult problem” for the United States and cautioned against any move towards formal Taiwanese independence following his two-day summit with Xi Jinping in Beijing.

Speaking to Fox News after returning from China, Trump pointed to Beijing’s military strength and Taiwan’s close geographical proximity to mainland China, saying Washington would face major strategic challenges in the event of a conflict.

“When you look at the odds, China is a very, very powerful, big country. That’s a very small island. Think of it; it’s 59 miles away. We’re 9,500 miles away. That’s a little bit of a difficult problem,” Trump said.

Trump Urges Both Sides To ‘Cool It’

The US President urged both Beijing and Taipei to ease tensions and avoid provocative actions.

“I do say this: Taiwan would be very smart to cool it a little bit. China would be very smart to cool it a little bit. They ought to both cool it,” he said.

Trump also signalled discomfort with the idea of the US becoming militarily involved if Taiwan formally pursues independence from China.

“I’m not looking for somebody to go independent and we’re supposed to travel 9,500 miles to fight a war. I’m not looking for that,” he added.

US Maintains ‘One China’ Policy

Under Washington’s longstanding ‘One China’ policy, the United States acknowledges China’s position that Taiwan is part of China but has never formally recognised Beijing’s sovereignty over the self-governed democratic island.

The US continues to maintain strong unofficial relations with Taiwan and, under the Taiwan Relations Act, remains legally committed to supplying Taipei with defensive weapons.

Trump nevertheless insisted that Washington’s longstanding support for Taiwan had not changed despite his remarks.

Taiwan At Centre Of Beijing Talks

Trump’s comments came shortly after concluding a high-profile visit to China, his first in nine years, where discussions reportedly focused heavily on Taiwan, trade tensions and the ongoing Iran conflict.

The visit marked one of the most closely watched diplomatic engagements between Washington and Beijing amid rising geopolitical tensions in the Indo-Pacific region.

Meanwhile, Lai Ching-te has previously maintained that Taiwan does not need to formally declare independence because it already considers itself a sovereign nation.