US President Donald Trump on Friday said that Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) told him China would not invade Taiwan while Trump is in office.
Trump made the remarks in an interview with Fox News, ahead of talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
“I will tell you, you know, you have a very similar thing with President Xi of China and Taiwan, but I don’t believe there’s any way it’s going to happen as long as I’m here. We’ll see,” Trump said during an interview on Fox News’ Special Report.
“He told me: ‘I will never do it as long as you’re president.’ President Xi told me that, and I said: ‘Well, I appreciate that,’ but he also said: ‘But I am very patient, and China is very patient,’” Trump said.
Trump and Xi held their first confirmed call of Trump’s second presidential term in June.
In Taipei, Taiwanese academics said Trump’s remarks might reflect the “performative” nature of his diplomacy, which is often preoccupied with projecting an image of personal strength.
Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a researcher at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said Xi was more likely to have made a vague comment rather than a formal pledge, if he made any promise at all.
Shen added that Beijing’s promises of peace are meaningless, as China would not hesitate to tear up any agreement if it decided to seize Taiwan by force.
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I predict 2020 will be a year safe from Chinese invasion
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