Trump Claims Xi Promised No Taiwan Invasion During His Presidency

President Donald Trump said this week that Chinese leader Xi Jinping assured him Beijing would not invade Taiwan while Trump was in office. Speaking in a Fox News interview, Trump recalled Xi telling him directly, “I will never do that while you are president.”

The comment comes as U.S.–China tensions remain high, with Beijing continuing to assert its claim over Taiwan and warning it could use force if necessary. Trump suggested China is “very patient” and hinted that his leadership deterred aggressive moves in the region.

Taiwanese officials did not issue an immediate formal response. However, a senior lawmaker from the island’s ruling party stressed that Taiwan’s security cannot rely on promises from adversaries, arguing the nation must strengthen its own defense capabilities regardless of U.S. political shifts.

The claim highlights Trump’s ongoing effort to contrast his foreign policy record with that of the Biden administration, while also placing U.S.–China–Taiwan relations back in the spotlight.