Donald Trump has expressed doubt that China would invade Taiwan, voicing confidence in his relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping ahead of their meeting later this month. Speaking to reporters alongside Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Trump said, 'I think we’ll be just fine with China. China doesn’t want to do that.'
When asked about a Pentagon assessment that Xi could attempt to seize Taiwan within six years, Trump acknowledged Taiwan is 'the apple of his eye' but added, 'I don’t see anything happening.' He noted China knows the US is 'the strongest military power in the world by far' and that 'nobody’s going to mess with that.'
Trump will meet Xi for the first time in his second term at an Asia-Pacific summit in South Korea later this month. He emphasised his priority is a 'fair' trade deal with China, saying, 'I want to be good to China. I love my relationship with President Xi.' He declined to say whether he would sacrifice US support for Taiwan as part of any agreement.
The United States officially recognises Beijing, not Taiwan, but is required by law to provide weapons for Taiwan’s self-defence. Washington has deliberately avoided clarifying whether it would use force to defend the island, unlike Trump’s predecessor Joe Biden, who repeatedly suggested US military intervention if China invaded.
