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Speaking to CBS’ 60 Minutes in an interview aired Sunday, Trump said the topic of Taiwan “never came up” during his discussions with Xi.
Trump revealed that the Chinese leader “never brought up” Taiwan during their meeting last week.
“He never brought it up. People were a little surprised at that,” Trump said. “But they understand what’s gonna happen. He has openly said, and his people have openly said at meetings, ‘We would never do anything while President Trump is president,’ because they know the consequences.”
When asked whether he would order US forces to defend Taiwan if China were to launch a military assault, Trump declined to detail his response plan. “I can’t give away my secrets,” he said, adding that his administration’s strength and clarity of purpose were deterrents in themselves.
CBS noted that Taiwan remains “probably the potential flashpoint with China in the coming years,” citing Beijing’s growing military and cyber activities around the island. Trump reiterated that the issue had not been discussed in his talks with Xi but insisted that Chinese officials were aware of the risks of any such escalation.The 60 Minutes interview marked Trump’s first sit-down with the program in five years — and his first since he sued and later reached a settlement with CBS’ parent company, Paramount, over a 2024 interview involving then–Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris. The settlement did not include any apology from the network.
US-China thaw & the Taiwan calculus
The question of Taiwan remains the most sensitive fault line in US-China relations. The self-ruled island, officially known as the Republic of China, functions as a vibrant democracy but is claimed by Beijing as part of its sovereign territory under the “One China” policy.
China has long vowed to achieve reunification, by force if necessary, while the United States maintains a policy of strategic ambiguity — recognising Beijing diplomatically but supporting Taipei’s defence capabilities through arms sales and security cooperation.
Taiwan’s importance extends far beyond geopolitics. The island anchors global supply chains in advanced technology, particularly semiconductors, which power everything from smartphones to fighter jets. Its status as a democratic bulwark in the Indo-Pacific makes it a key counterbalance to China’s expanding influence. However, a steady increase in Chinese military exercises around the island, coupled with growing US defence support and high-level visits, has fuelled concerns that an accident or miscalculation could trigger a wider conflict.
Beyond Taiwan, tensions also play out in the South China Sea — a waterway vital to global commerce, with an estimated $3.3 trillion worth of goods transiting annually. China asserts sweeping claims over almost the entire sea through its so-called “Nine-Dash Line,” which overlaps with the maritime territories of Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei.
Over the past decade, Beijing has built artificial islands, installed runways and radar systems, and deployed military assets in contested zones such as the Paracel and Spratly Islands, moves that have drawn sharp criticism from Southeast Asian nations and the United States.
Washington, in turn, conducts regular “freedom of navigation” operations to challenge what it calls excessive and unlawful maritime claims, arguing that the sea’s routes must remain open under international law. Beijing insists that it is merely defending its “historic rights” and views U.S. naval patrols as provocations infringing on its sovereignty.
