Yui says Trump-Xi talks did not focus on Taiwan

Taiwan in Trump-Xi talks

Alexander Yui, Taiwan’s representative to the United States, said Taiwan was mentioned during President Trump’s latest meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping but was not a main subject of their discussions.

Yui noted that Taiwan did not appear in either side’s public descriptions of the meeting’s results. When host Margaret Brennan pointed out that China had called Taiwan a foundational issue, Yui said there was no corresponding reaction from the United States.

He contrasted the latest meeting with Trump’s May visit to Beijing, when Xi discussed Taiwan at length, according to Yui. He said the United States made clear before, during and after the more recent meeting that its position toward Taiwan had not changed.

Yui also cited Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s meeting with the foreign ministers of Japan and South Korea during the United Nations General Assembly. He said they supported peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, opposed coercion and backed Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations.

Communication with Taiwan

Brennan asked whether Trump had spoken with Taiwan President Lai Ching-te after saying in May that he wanted to do so. Yui did not confirm a presidential-level call. He said communication between Taiwan and the United States remains open, regular and close at different levels, repeating that response when pressed.

The interview also addressed tensions between Taiwan and Beijing. Brennan cited an unclassified U.S. intelligence assessment saying Chinese leaders did not currently plan to invade Taiwan in 2027, while continuing to set conditions for eventual unification short of conflict. Asked what Taiwan needs from the United States to deter Xi, Yui began by discussing historical references Trump and Xi had made to World War II and Japan’s invasion of China.