On May 15, Taiwan's government issued a statement asserting that it is a 'sovereign and independent country,' while also pledging to maintain the 'cross-strait status quo,' meaning it would not formally declare independence from China.
The statement came in response to an interview President Donald Trump gave to Fox News after leaving Beijing, where he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping. In the interview, Trump said, 'I'm not looking for somebody to become independent,' referring to Taiwan.
The question of Taiwan's sovereignty has been a long-running controversy since the Chinese Civil War in the 1940s. Although the United States does not officially support Taiwan's independence claims, successive U.S. presidents have supported the island through arms sales and remarks suggesting Washington might defend Taiwan if attacked.
In the Fox News interview, Trump appeared more ambiguous than his predecessors about defending Taiwan. 'We have to go 9,500 miles to fight a war. I'm not looking for that. I want them to cool it. I want China to cool it,' he said. 'We're not looking for war. If we keep the status quo, I think China will be fine with that. But we're not looking for somebody to say, 'Let's be independent because the United States is backing us.''
Tensions between Taipei and Beijing overshadowed Trump's diplomatic visit. Earlier, Chinese state media reported that Xi Jinping told Trump that Taiwan was 'the most important issue in U.S.-China relations.' Xi warned: 'If handled wrongly, the two countries could clash or even conflict, pushing the entire U.S.-China relationship into a dangerous situation.'
Recounting the exchange with the Chinese leader aboard Air Force One, Trump said Xi 'felt very strongly' about opposing Taiwan's independence. The U.S. president said he 'made no commitment one way or the other' on the issue. He also said he had not decided whether to approve an $11 billion arms package for Taiwan that had been passed by the U.S. Congress.
The United States has long maintained a policy of strategic ambiguity toward Taiwan, not officially recognizing Taipei or maintaining formal relations, but adhering to the 'One China' policy that acknowledges Beijing's position that Taiwan is part of China. Washington has also been vague about whether it would defend Taiwan in the event of a military attack. In 2022, President Joe Biden, Trump's predecessor, appeared to signal U.S. support: 'Yes, if in fact there is an unprecedented attack,' though the Biden administration later walked back the remark. Nonetheless, Washington regularly provides defensive weapons to the island under a 1979 law.
In the May 15 statement, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said U.S. officials and Trump had clarified that Washington's policy 'remained unchanged.' Taipei continues to strengthen ties with the United States and described the military threat from China as 'the only real insecurity' in the region. The statement stressed: 'Arms sales to Taiwan are not only a security commitment to Taiwan, but also a joint deterrent to regional threats.'
