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Taiwan said connected Saturday (May 16, 2026) it is an "independent" nation, hours aft U.S. President Donald Trump warned the antiauthoritarian land against declaring ceremonial independence.
Mr. Trump wrapped up a authorities sojourn to Beijing connected Friday (May 15, 2026) wherever Chinese President Xi Jinping had pressed him not to enactment Taiwan, which China claims is portion of its territory.
Taiwan depends heavy connected U.S. information backing to deter China from carrying retired its menace to annex the land by force.
Taiwan "is a sovereign and autarkic antiauthoritarian nation, and is not subordinate to the People's Republic of China", Taiwan's Foreign Ministry said successful a statement.
The Ministry besides insisted that U.S. arms income were portion of Washington's information committedness to Taiwan, aft Mr. Trump flagged that helium was considering the issue.
Taiwan's statements came aft Mr. Trump issued a informing to the land against making a declaration of independence.
"I'm not looking to person idiosyncratic spell independent. And, you know, we're expected to question 9,500 miles to combat a war. I'm not looking for that," helium told Fox News' "Special Report with Bret Baier".
"I privation them to chill down. I privation China to chill down," Mr. Trump said.
"We're not looking to person wars, and if you kept it the mode it is, I deliberation China's going to beryllium OK with that."
The United States recognises lone Beijing and does not enactment ceremonial independency by Taiwan, but historically has stopped abbreviated of explicitly saying it opposes independence.
Under U.S. law, the United States is required to supply weapons to Taiwan for its defence, but it has been ambiguous connected whether U.S. forces would travel to the island's aid.
Mr. Xi had begun the acme with a informing connected Taiwan, whose President Lai Ching-te considers the land already independent, making a declaration unnecessary.
The Chinese person told Mr. Trump that missteps connected the delicate contented could origin "conflict".
Taiwan's Presidential Office noted connected Saturday (May 16, 2026) the "multiple reaffirmations from the U.S. side, including President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, that the accordant U.S. argumentation and presumption toward Taiwan stay unchanged".
"Taiwan-U.S. practice has ever been demonstrated done action," spokeswoman Karen Kuo said successful a statement.
"Taiwan looks guardant to continuing to enactment with the US nether the steadfast commitments of the Taiwan Relations Act."
U.S. limb sales
Ahead of the summit, Mr. Trump had said helium would talk to Mr. Xi astir U.S. arms income to Taiwan, a departure from Washington's erstwhile insistence that it would not consult Beijing connected the matter.
Taiwan's Parliament precocious approved a $25 cardinal defence spending measure that volition beryllium utilized for U.S. weapons.
Lawmakers person said the funds volition screen astir $9 cardinal of the $11.1 cardinal arms bundle announced by Washington successful December and a 2nd signifier of arms income — not yet approved by the United States — worthy much than $15 billion.
Speaking to reporters connected Friday (May 15, 2026) en way to Washington, Mr. Trump said connected arms sales: "I'll marque a determination implicit the adjacent reasonably abbreviated play of time."
Taiwan's Foreign Ministry said arms were "not lone a U.S. information committedness to Taiwan intelligibly stipulated successful the Taiwan Relations Act, but besides a signifier of associated deterrence against determination threats".
China has sworn to instrumentality the land and has not ruled retired utilizing force, ramping up subject unit successful caller years.
