We're 9,500 miles away: Trump explains why Taiwan remains difficult issue for US

US President Donald Trump called Taiwan a "difficult problem" for the US due to China's military might and close proximity to the island. He also warned that Taipei against pursuing formal independence after his two-day summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing.

In Short

• Trump said Washington's stance on Taiwan remained unchanged after meeting Xi
• He cited China's military strength and proximity as key strategic constraints
• Taiwan stayed the central issue throughout his discussions with Xi

US President Donald Trump on Friday described Taiwan as a “difficult problem” for the US because of China’s military strength and geographical proximity to the island. He also warned Taipei against pursuing formal independence after his two-day summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing.

Speaking to Fox News after returning from China, Trump said the US was “not looking to travel 9,500 miles to fight a war” with China, even as he maintained that Washington’s longstanding support for Taiwan remained unchanged.

“When you look at the odds, China is a very, very powerful, big country. That’s a very small island. Think of it; it’s 59 miles away. We’re 9,500 miles away. That’s a little bit of a difficult problem. I do say this: Taiwan would be very smart to cool it a little bit. China would be very smart to cool it a little bit. They ought to both cool it,” he said.

“I’m not looking for somebody to go independent and we’re supposed to travel 9,500 miles to fight a war. I’m not looking for that,” he said, referring to Taiwan’s independence movement and the possibility of conflict with China.

Under the longstanding 'One China' policy, the US acknowledges China’s position that Taiwan is part of China but has never formally recognised Beijing’s sovereignty claim over the democratic and self-governing island. Washington maintains robust unofficial ties with Taiwan and, under the Taiwan Relations Act, is legally required to provide it with defensive weapons.

Trump's remarks on the Taiwan issue came after he wrapped up a high-profile visit to China focused heavily on Taiwan, trade tensions and the ongoing Iran conflict. This was Trump's first visit to China in nine years.

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te has previously argued that Taiwan does not need to formally declare independence because it already considers itself a sovereign nation.

During the Fox News interview, Trump insisted that “nothing has changed” in the US’s position toward Taiwan after his talks with Xi, preserving Washington’s long-held policy of strategic ambiguity. The US has deliberately remained ambiguous about whether it would militarily intervene if China attacks Taiwan, which considers the island as its own.

Trump said Taiwan was the central issue during his discussions with Xi, describing it as the Chinese leader’s “most important” concern. “We talked the whole night about that issue. I think I know more about Taiwan right now than I know about almost any country,” he added.

He also speculated that China was unlikely to attack Taiwan during his presidency but suggested the risk could rise afterward. “I don’t think they’ll do anything when I’m here. When I’m not here, I think they might,” he said.

The US President asserted that he wanted the present situation to continue without escalation. “I’d like to see it stay the way it is,” he said.

He further indicated that a proposed USD 14 billion US arms package for Taiwan remained under review and could be used as leverage in negotiations with Beijing. “I haven’t approved it yet. We’re going to see what happens,” Trump said. “It is a very good negotiating chip for us,” he said.

Trump also criticised previous US administrations for allowing Taiwan to emerge as a semiconductor manufacturing giant, claiming American leaders had enabled the island to “steal” the US chip industry.

“If you look at history, Taiwan was developed because we had presidents that didn’t know what the hell they were doing. They stole our chip industry,” he said.

China, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has not ruled out using force to take control of the island, welcomed Trump’s remarks opposing Taiwanese independence.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Beijing believed Trump understood China’s concerns regarding Taiwan. “The Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-US relations,” Wang said, reiterating Beijing’s demand that Washington adhere to the 'One China' principle and existing bilateral agreements.

Meanwhile, Taiwan’s government said it was closely monitoring developments following the Trump-Xi summit. Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry said Taipei remained in close communication with Washington.

- Ends