Trump administration responds after Xi warns of Taiwan conflict risk
Photo: US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping (Getty Images)
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington’s policy on Taiwan remains unchanged despite warnings from Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Sky News reports.
A journalist asked Rubio about comments made by Xi Jinping during a meeting with Donald Trump in Beijing, where the Chinese leader described Taiwan as the "most important" issue in relations between the United States and China.
"They certainly feel that way, and they always raise that issue, and we understand they raise that issue. From our perspective, any forced change in the status quo would be bad for both countries," the US Secretary of State said.
Responding to Xi’s warning that mishandling the Taiwan issue could lead to a "clash" or even a "conflict," Rubio stressed that Washington’s position has not changed.
"US policy on the issue of Taiwan is unchanged as of today," he said.
According to Rubio, that position has been maintained under US Presidents from different political parties.
Trump’s visit to China
Donald Trump is currently on a state visit to Beijing. It marks the first such visit by a US President to China in nearly nine years — Trump previously traveled there in November 2017 during his first presidential term.
Trump was accompanied by a delegation that included Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth, billionaire Elon Musk, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, and Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent.
During the meeting, Xi Jinping warned the American President about the risks of taking the wrong approach to the Taiwan issue.
"If it is handled properly, the bilateral relationship will enjoy overall stability. Otherwise, the two countries will have clashes and even conflicts, putting the entire relationship in great jeopardy," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning quoted Xi as telling Trump.
The United States and China agreed during the Beijing meeting that Iran must never obtain nuclear weapons under any circumstances.
