Xi Jinping asks Donald Trump to oppose Taiwan's independence

Taiwan has rejected Chinese President Xi Jinping’s statements regarding the island’s future, made on Thursday in Washington during his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump. Taipei accuses Beijing of presenting its claims unilaterally and maintains that Taiwan’s status can be decided only by the island’s people, through democratic means.

Xi Jinping told Donald Trump that China’s position on national “reunification” and territorial integrity is clear. The Chinese leader also called on the United States to oppose Taiwan’s independence and support what Beijing considers to be the correct position.

Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry accused China of “distorting the facts” and said that the Chinese Communist Party has no right to represent the Taiwanese people. Taipei argued that Beijing is the true destabilizing factor in the region, pointing to the military pressure and threats surrounding the island.

There were no indications that the Trump administration had accepted Xi’s request, and the White House had not published its own transcript of the discussion at the time of Reuters’ report. The United States does not diplomatically recognize Taiwan as a separate state, but maintains unofficial relations with Taipei and supplies it with weapons.

The tensions are unfolding alongside U.S.-China negotiations on trade, artificial intelligence and security. Taiwan has announced that it will continue cooperating with Washington and other partners to maintain peace in the Taiwan Strait.