Xi Jinping contradicts Trump, threatens Taiwan

China reacted to Donald Trump’s recent comments that Xi Jinping had promised not to invade Taiwan as long as he remained president.

While Beijing’s Foreign Ministry has issued a statement in favor of “peaceful reunification”, Beijing maintains ambiguity over Trump’s remarks and reaffirms its ambitions towards Taiwan.

Trump, in an interview with Fox News prior to his important meeting with the Russian president in Alaska, claimed that Xi Jinping had guaranteed him that China would not invade Taiwan while he was in office.

He added that the Chinese president would have told him to be very patient, as would China be in its ambitions for the island.

Donald Trump compared the situation between China and Taiwan to that between Ukraine and Russia, saying it was “a very similar thing”.

He made it clear, however, that in the case of China, nothing would happen as long as he was president, adding that he welcomed Xi’s pledge by declaring, “I appreciate that.” On Beijing’s side, the message remains unequivocal despite Trump’s statements.

China has warned that it will never allow anyone to separate Taiwan from its territory, saying: “We will never allow anyone or any force to separate Taiwan from China in any way”.