The President of the United States, Donald Trump, stated that his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, guaranteed that Beijing will not take any action regarding its goal of unifying Taiwan with mainland China while he remains in office.
The meeting between the two leaders focused mainly on trade issues and the temporary suspension of reciprocal tariffs between the two powers. The U.S. leader emphasized that his personal relationship with Xi is at a stage of "mutual respect" and that his administration will continue to bet on a balance that allows for "reducing tensions without ceding sovereignty".
"China will never allow any person or force to separate Taiwan from China in any way," the statement noted, stressing that "the Taiwan issue is an internal affair of the Chinese people."
The Taiwan Relations Act of 1979 states that the United States is not obligated to intervene militarily if China invades the island, but it must ensure that Taiwan has sufficient means for its defense.
"You will find out if it happens, and he understands the answer to that," Trump said in reference to Xi.
In this context, he assured that the one-year tariff truce represents an important step to alleviate the trade war between the world's two largest economies, and noted that an understanding was reached on maritime and port trade, which involves a 12-month extension on the payment of around $3.2 billion annually in duties.
When asked if he would order U.S. forces to defend Taiwan in the event of a potential Chinese attack, Trump avoided giving a direct answer.
The White House, for its part, did not provide additional details about the exact terms of the exchange between the two leaders or any possible formal commitments.
The full "60 Minutes" interview, which also includes segments on trade, foreign policy, and the personal relationship between the two leaders, will be broadcast in its entirety on Sunday night.
