Taiwan Praises US Support as Trump-Xi Talks Spotlight Island Tensions
Taipei-Taiwan on Friday welcomed renewed U.S. assurances of support and regional stability after President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks in Beijing dominated by disagreements over Taiwan and regional security.
Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry thanked Washington for reaffirming that U.S. policy toward the self-governed island remained unchanged, following remarks by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio during Trump’s state visit to China.In a statement, Taiwanese Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung expressed appreciation for repeated U.S. statements emphasizing peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
The ministry also accused Beijing of continuing military intimidation around the island through regular naval and air operations.“This demonstrates that Beijing is a major risk to current regional peace and stability,” the ministry said.Taiwan has emerged as the central flashpoint in increasingly strained U.S.-China relations, with Beijing claiming the democratically governed island as its territory and refusing to rule out the use of force to achieve unification.
Xi warned Trump during Thursday’s meeting that mishandling Taiwan-related disputes could push bilateral relations into a “dangerous place,” according to Chinese officials familiar with the talks.Rubio later told NBC News that it would be a “terrible mistake” for China to use force against Taiwan, reiterating Washington’s longstanding position supporting the island’s ability to defend itself.
Taiwan National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu endorsed Rubio’s comments in a post on X, stating that Taiwan was determined to “defend the status quo and deter aggression.”Taiwan’s defense ministry said seven Chinese warships were operating around the island during the previous 24 hours, although no Chinese military aircraft were detected.
A senior Taiwanese security official said the island occupied a critical position within the so-called “first island chain,” a strategic arc stretching from Japan through Taiwan to the Philippines that is viewed by Washington and its allies as central to Indo-Pacific security.
Taipei is also closely monitoring whether Beijing increases military deployments following the Trump-Xi summit and ahead of the second anniversary next week of President Lai Ching-te taking office, the official said.China’s Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The latest exchanges underscore how Taiwan remains one of the most sensitive and potentially destabilizing issues between Washington and Beijing despite efforts by both governments to stabilize broader ties through diplomacy and trade engagement.
