Trump: “It’s Up to Xi” on Taiwan but U.S. Would Be “Very Unhappy” With Change to Status Quo.
President Donald Trump has drawn fresh controversy by saying that Chinese President Xi Jinping ultimately decides what China does regarding Taiwan — effectively placing Taiwan’s future “up to him,” though he warned he would be “very unhappy” with any change to the status quo. Trump made the comments in an interview with The New York Times published Thursday, framing Taiwan’s situation as fundamentally Beijing’s decision and distinguishing it from U.S. actions in Venezuela.
Trump emphasized that Taiwan does not pose the same kind of direct threat to China that Venezuela’s government, in his view, posed to the United States, and expressed confidence that Xi would refrain from military action during his presidency, which runs through 2029. “He may do it after we have a different president, but I don’t think he’s going to do it with me as president,” Trump said.
The remarks prompted concern in Taipei and among U.S. allies, as they appeared to defer to Xi’s judgment on Taiwan’s fate and undercut longstanding U.S. strategic ambiguity about defending the self-governing island. China reacted by reiterating that Taiwan is an “inalienable part” of its territory and a purely internal matter that brooks no external interference.
While Trump signaled opposition to any forceful change in Taiwan’s status, his phrasing — that the decision rests with Xi — has raised fears in Washington, Taipei and allied capitals about the strength of U.S. deterrence and how Taiwanese security fits into broader U.S.–China strategic competition.
