Taiwan has strongly denounced Chinese President Xi Jinping's comments to US President Donald Trump during their September 24, 2026 summit in Washington. Xi urged Trump to "oppose" rather than merely "not support" Taiwanese independence. Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected this framing as a distortion of facts, asserting that the Chinese Communist Party has no right to represent Taiwan's people. Additionally, Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council disputed Xi's historical narrative regarding World War II cooperation, while analysts warn that any shift in US rhetoric could erode strategic ambiguity.
Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs reaction
- ▪Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs denounced Chinese President Xi Jinping's comments about Taiwanese independence made during the Washington summit to US President Donald Trump on September 25, 2026, calling them a distortion of facts and unilateral assertions
- ▪Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs labeled China the true disruptor of regional peace, citing Chinese military activities around Taiwan and in the East and South China seas.
- ▪Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Taiwan's sovereignty belongs to its people, the Chinese Communist Party has no right to represent them, and Taiwan's future must be determined democratically.
Dispute over World War II history
- ▪Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council stated that the Republic of China was the true US ally during World War II, while the Chinese Communist Party focused primarily on expanding its own power.
- ▪Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council rejected Chinese President Xi Jinping's remarks that the US and China fought side-by-side during World War II, stating the People's Republic of China did not exist then.
Chinese pressure on US Taiwan policy
- ▪Chinese President Xi Jinping's September 24, 2026 request for US President Donald Trump to oppose Taiwanese independence represents a tougher stance than Washington's long-standing formulation of not supporting independence
- ▪Eurasia Group senior analyst Jeremy Chan stated that a shift in US wording to oppose Taiwanese independence, requested by Xi Jinping on September 24, 2026, would erode the strategic ambiguity regarding whether the US would defend Taiwan
- ▪During a summit in Washington on September 24, 2026, Chinese President Xi Jinping told US President Donald Trump that he hoped the US would adhere to the "correct position" of opposing Taiwanese independence.
Chinese state media messaging
- ▪An editorial in the Chinese state media outlet The People's Daily reiterated that Taiwan remains the core of China's core interests and the first unbreakable red line in China-US relations.
- ▪According to Chinese state media, Chinese President Xi Jinping urged US President Donald Trump on September 24, 2026, to handle the Taiwan question with prudence.
US policy on Taiwan
- ▪US Senate Democrats criticized US President Donald Trump for failing to address China's military pressure on Taiwan and called for the immediate delivery of approved military aid.
- ▪US Ambassador to China David Perdue stated that there has been no change in US policy toward Taiwan, including commitments under the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act.
US arms sales to Taiwan
- ▪Taiwan's Deputy Foreign Minister Francois Wu stated on September 26, 2026, that maintaining weapons sales to Taiwan and protecting its semiconductor industry are important US interests.
- ▪Following a state visit to Beijing in May 2026, US President Donald Trump held a $14 billion arms sales package to Taiwan in abeyance, describing the package as a negotiating chip
Expert assessments of the summit
- ▪Tamkang University assistant professor James Chen stated that US President Donald Trump does not want Taipei to obstruct a broader agreement with Beijing but has not shown intention to trade Taiwan.
- ▪National Cheng Kung University professor Wang Hung-jen stated that the outcome of the Trump-Xi summit in Washington was better than expected because Chinese President Xi Jinping did not directly raise arms sales
Debatable claims
- ▪China is the primary disruptor of peace in the Taiwan Strait
- ▪Opposing Taiwanese independence does more harm than good to US interests
- ▪The United States should not use arms sales to Taiwan as a bargaining instrument in negotiations with China
- ▪The Republic of China is the legitimate heir to the US-China World War II alliance
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