Trump claims Xi vowed no Taiwan invasion during his presidency

President Donald Trump claimed during a Fox News interview on Friday that Chinese President Xi Jinping assured him China would not invade Taiwan while he remains in office. The claim comes as U.S.-China relations remain strained and military activity around the Taiwan Strait continues to intensify.

“I don’t believe there’s any way it’s going to happen as long as I’m here. We’ll see,” Trump told Fox News’ “Special Report.” He said Xi told him directly, “I will never do it as long as you’re president,” before adding, “But I am very patient, and China is very patient.” Trump and Xi held their first confirmed phone call of Trump’s second term in June, following an earlier call Trump said took place in April without giving a date.

Trump’s account of Xi’s comments mirrors his recent claim that Russian President Vladimir Putin told him the invasion of Ukraine would not have happened under his leadership. Both remarks reflect a pattern in which Trump frames assurances from foreign leaders as evidence of his personal influence on global security.

The Chinese Embassy in Washington responded to Trump’s statement by calling Taiwan “the most important and sensitive issue” in U.S.-China relations. China considers Taiwan part of its territory and has vowed to bring the island under its control, by force if necessary. Taiwan, a self-governing democracy, firmly rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims. Chinese fighter jets and naval ships have regularly operated near Taiwan in recent years, raising concerns about the risk of miscalculation.

Taiwan’s government has not issued a formal statement, but senior Democratic Progressive Party lawmaker Wang Ting-yu said the island was grateful for allied support. Writing on Facebook, Wang added, “Security cannot rely on the enemy’s promise, nor can it rely solely on the help from friends. Strengthening our own defense capability is fundamental.”

The U.S. is Taiwan’s main arms supplier and strongest international partner despite not having formal diplomatic ties. Since the passage of the Taiwan Relations Act in 1979, Washington has been obligated to provide Taipei with defensive weapons and to maintain the capacity to resist coercion. Recent U.S. arms sales and military patrols in the Taiwan Strait have drawn sharp protests from Beijing but remain central to Washington’s efforts to deter Chinese aggression.

In June, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the U.S. would take military action if China attempted to invade Taiwan, outlining a strategy that shifts the Pentagon’s focus from Europe to Asia. Recordings from a 2024 fundraiser similarly captured Trump recounting a blunt warning he purportedly delivered to Xi. “If you go into Taiwan, I’m going to bomb the shit out of Beijing,” Trump recalled saying, adding that Xi thought he was “crazy” but that no conflict followed.