Taiwan’s government has urged China to end its military pressure on the island, saying the Trump–Xi summit in Beijing produced no surprises on Taiwan.
Mainland Affairs Council Deputy Minister and spokesman Liang Wen-chieh told reporters in Taipei that Taiwan is routinely one of the most important topics in China-U.S. meetings.
“So at this point, all we can say is that there has been no surprising information so far and we will continue to maintain close communication with the American side,” Liang said.
He noted that warnings about potential conflict had been made in previous meetings.
Liang said the real threat to peace in the Taiwan Strait is China’s ongoing military harassment, including the deployment of aircraft and vessels, rather than Taiwan’s desire to maintain its way of life.
“If maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait is truly the greatest common ground between China and the United States, then the Chinese Communist Party should restrain its own behavior of military intimidation,” he added.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Beijing is “the sole risk to regional peace and stability.”
It noted China’s continued gray-zone activities, including military intrusions in the East China Sea, South China Sea, Taiwan Strait, and surrounding areas.
Michelle Lee, spokeswoman for Taiwan’s cabinet, said China’s military threat is the only source of insecurity in the Taiwan Strait and the broader Indo-Pacific region.
She added that the United States has repeatedly reaffirmed its support for Taiwan.
The comments followed Xi’s warning to Trump during their roughly two-hour meeting that mishandling the Taiwan issue could lead to clashes or conflict and put bilateral relations in great jeopardy.
A White House summary of the talks made no mention of Taiwan and instead highlighted agreements on Iran not developing nuclear weapons and keeping the Strait of Hormuz open for global shipping.
Taiwan, a self-governing democracy of about 23 million people, rejects Beijing’s claim of sovereignty and says only its people can decide their future.
The Chinese communist regime has never ruled Taiwan but views it as part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to bring it under its control.
Chinese warplanes and warships operate near the island almost daily.
The United States is Taiwan’s most important security partner and largest supplier of defensive weapons, even without formal diplomatic ties.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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