Trump Warns Taiwan Against Independence After High-Stakes Xi Summit US President Donald Trump has warned Taiwan against formally declaring independence from China during his recent summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. “I’m not looking to have somebody go independent,” Trump told Fox News on Friday after the two-day meeting with Xi. Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te has earlier said Taiwan does not need to formally declare independence because it already considers itself a sovereign country. Also Read: Trump Hails Meeting With Xi, Then Mentions Taiwan The United States has long supported Taiwan and is legally required to help it defend itself. At the same time, Washington also maintains diplomatic ties with China under the “One China” policy. Earlier, Trump said he had “made no commitment either way” on Taiwan. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has not ruled out using force to take control of the island. The US officially says it does not support Taiwanese independence. Its relationship with Beijing is based on recognising that there is only one Chinese government. China has repeatedly criticised Taiwan’s President Lai, calling him a “troublemaker” and a “destroyer of cross-strait peace”. Many people in Taiwan see themselves as belonging to a separate nation. However, most support maintaining the current status quo, where Taiwan neither formally declares independence nor unites with China. In the Fox News interview, Trump said US policy on Taiwan had not changed. “You know, we're supposed to travel 9,500 miles (15,289km) to fight a war. I'm not looking for that. I want them to cool down. I want China to cool down,” he said. While returning to Washington, Trump told reporters that he and Xi had discussed Taiwan “a lot”, but he avoided saying whether the US would defend the island in the event of a conflict. Trump said Xi “feels very strongly” about Taiwan and “doesn't want to see a movement for independence”. According to Chinese state media, Xi told Trump during the talks: “The Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-US relations.” He added, “If mishandled, the two nations could collide or even come into conflict.” When asked whether he expected a conflict with China over Taiwan, Trump replied: “No, I don't think so. I think we'll be fine. [Xi] doesn't want to see a war.”