TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — As US President Donald Trump prepares to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Thursday, reports suggest his aides fear he may shift Washington's wording on Taiwan to secure a trade deal with Beijing
Several of Trump’s aides have privately urged him not to alter Washington’s policy on Taiwan independence in a way that favors Beijing, per NBC News. They fear he is determined to reach a sweeping trade deal with China and might “subtly shift the US position by framing it with new language” or even abandon long-standing policy altogether.
One source was cited as saying, “Everyone is holding their breath."
Officials have reportedly warned Trump to be ready for Xi to press him to make a new public statement on Taiwan independence. For months, Xi has been urging Washington to change its current position of “not supporting” Taiwan independence to one that explicitly “opposes” it.
A public declaration opposing Taiwan independence would mark a departure from the US’s traditionally neutral stance and move it closer to Beijing’s position. For decades, successive US administrations have adhered to the one-China policy under a framework of strategic ambiguity, with presidents consistently saying the US does not support Taiwan independence.
“President Trump has repeatedly affirmed that his Taiwan policy has not changed. When he leads on foreign policy, he always puts forward deals that put the American people first,” a White House official told NBC News.
A senior State Department official similarly said on Monday, “The policy on Taiwan hasn’t changed one bit.” The official added, “It’s as consistent as it’s been for decades.”
According to a person familiar with the discussions, Taiwanese officials are also uneasy about the upcoming Trump-Xi summit and have expressed concerns to State Department officials that Trump might “abandon” Taiwan to secure a deal.
However, when asked about Taiwan’s concerns, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio dismissed them. While en route to Asia on Saturday, Rubio said, “I don’t think you’re going to see some trade deal where, if what people are worried about is, we’re going to get some trade deal or we’re going to get favorable treatment on trade in exchange for walking away from Taiwan."
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs later posted on X, thanking Rubio for “reaffirming that no one is contemplating walking away from Taiwan.” It added that Taiwan would continue working closely with the US to strengthen peace, stability, and resilience across the Taiwan Strait.
When asked on Tuesday if Taiwan would be discussed during his meeting with Xi, Trump said he was not sure if the subject would come up. “There's not much to ask about. Taiwan is Taiwan," said Trump.
