Taiwan Won’t Provoke Conflict but Will Defend Sovereignty, Lai Says

Taiwan will not provoke conflict but will also not surrender its sovereignty, President Lai Ching-te said following a high-profile summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, during which Taiwan was reportedly discussed.

 Taiwan’s government has maintained that there is no need to formally declare independence because it already views itself as a sovereign state.

According to a BBC News report by Koh Ewe, Chinese state media said Xi told Trump that Taiwan — the self-governed island claimed by Beijing — remained “the most important issue” in bilateral relations and warned that mishandling the matter could lead to conflict.

Following his visit to Beijing, Trump told Fox News: “I’m not looking to have somebody go independent,” referring to Taiwan.

The United States remains Taiwan’s longstanding security partner and is legally required under the Taiwan Relations Act to provide the island with defensive capabilities.

During the interview, Trump said U.S. policy toward Taiwan had not changed while emphasizing that he wanted to avoid conflict with Beijing.

He also said Xi had expressed strong views on Taiwan but that he had “made no commitment either way.”

Under Lai and his predecessor, Tsai Ing-wen, Taiwan’s government has maintained that there is no need to formally declare independence because it already views itself as a sovereign state.

In a Facebook post — his first direct response to the summit — Lai reiterated that position, saying there is no “Taiwan independence” issue.