The Taiwanese government has responded after US President Donald Trump’s trip to China and his call for the two countries to “cool down”.
The Taiwanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, in a statement, its position of maintaining the status quo in the Taiwan Strait “was clear”.
“It is self-evident that the ROC (Republic of China, Taiwan) is a sovereign democratic country,” it said.
“Beijing has no right to claim jurisdiction over Taiwan.”
Taiwan has been independent from mainland China in all but name since 1949, when Kuomintang leader Chiang Kai-Shek retreated to the island with the remnants of his army, refugees and many Chinese artefacts, as well as its gold, silver and dollar reserves.
The island nation was ruled as a military dictatorship until the 80s before transitioning to democracy.
It is now governed by the Democratic Progressive Party and led by President Lai Ching-te.
Chinese President Xi Jinping previously named China’s reunification with Taiwan as an objective and has not ruled out the use of military force to achieve it.
US President Donald Trump said, following his visit to China,
“I will say this, I’m not looking to have somebody go independent,” Mr Trump said.
“We’re supposed to travel 9,500 miles to fight a war, I’m not looking for that.
“I want them to cool down. I want China to cool down.”
Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it would continue to cooperate with the US to “ensure that the security and stability of the Taiwan Strait are not threatened or undermined”.
“This serves the shared interests of Taiwan, the United States, and democracies around the world,” it said.
But the latest US arms package to Taiwan of $US14 billion is still awaiting White House approval and Mr Trump has been hesitant to commit.
“I may do it, I may not do it,” he said.
Public opinion toward reunification with China in Taiwan is mixed, according to surveys by the Election Study Centre of the National Chengchi University in Taipei.
As of December 2025, 33.5 per cent of Taiwanese wanted to maintain the status quo indefinitely, while 26.3 per cent wanted to maintain the status quo and decide at a later date.
Another 21.9 per cent wanted to maintain the status quo and move toward independence.
But only 1.1 per cent wanted unification with China as soon as possible, with 6.1 per cent desiring independence as soon as possible.
During Mr Xi’s meeting with Mr Trump, he said relations between the US and China could be stable if the issue of Taiwan was not “mishandled”.
“If handled properly, bilateral relations can remain generally stable. If mishandled, the two countries will clash or even come into conflict, pushing the entire US-China relationship into a very dangerous situation,” Mr Xi warned.
“Taiwan independence and peace across the Taiwan Strait are fundamentally incompatible. Maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is the greatest common denominator between China and the United States.”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned China’s “military threat” was the primary source of “regional instability” in the Asia Pacific, “driving countries in the first island chain to strengthen their defence capabilities”.
The first island chain is a string of East Asian nations including Japan, Taiwan and the Philippines, and has been a vital part of US foreign policy strategy since the 1950s.
Japan, in particular, has been focused on defence, announcing plans to deploy surface-to-air missiles to Yonaguni Island near Taiwan, and approving a record defence budget in late 2025.
“US arms sales to Taiwan are both part of US security commitments under the Taiwan Relations Act and a key element of collective deterrence against regional threats,” Taiwan’s foreign ministry said.
“We are grateful for President Trump’s continued support for cross-strait security since his first term, including announcements of weapons sales that have reached record highs.
“Taiwan will further work with the United States and other democratic partners worldwide to address the risks that authoritarian regimes pose to geopolitical security and global order and stability.”
