President Donald Trump revealed on Friday that he engaged in extensive discussions about U.S. weapons sales to Taiwan with Chinese President Xi Jinping during recent meetings in Beijing, announcing that a decision on the matter would come soon.
While speaking with reporters during his flight back from China aboard Air Force One, Trump indicated that he and Xi had lengthy conversations about Taiwan, though he emphasized he didn’t perceive any disagreement on the subject. The president confirmed he made no promises to Xi concerning Taiwan policy.
According to Trump, Xi directly questioned whether America would come to Taiwan’s defense in the event of a Chinese attack on the island, but Trump refused to provide an answer.
“There’s only one person that knows that, and it is me. I’m the only person,” Trump said. “That question was asked to me today by President Xi. I said, I don’t talk about that.”
Beijing considers Taiwan part of its sovereign territory and has consistently condemned American weapon sales to the island, viewing such transactions as meddling in China’s domestic matters. Although the United States maintains no official diplomatic relations with Taiwan, it serves as Taiwan’s primary international ally and main arms provider.
