Xi Jinping never mentioned Taiwan in talks, says Trump

In an interview with CBS News, U.S. President Donald Trump declined to directly answer whether he would use American military forces to defend Taiwan in the event of an armed conflict between Taiwan and mainland China.

When asked whether this issue was discussed during his meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, and whether he would order U.S. forces to defend Taiwan in the Taiwan Strait if a conflict arose, Trump said: “You’ll know if that happens, and he [Xi Jinping] knows the answer to that question.”

The White House chief added that the Taiwan issue was never even raised during negotiations with Xi.

“He has never brought it up; people have been a little surprised by that. He has never raised the issue. They understand what will happen — both he [Xi Jinping] has clearly stated it, and his team has openly said it during meetings: ‘We will never do anything while Trump is president.’ They understand the consequences,” Trump said.