Taiwan says it is a 'sovereign' country after Trump warned against declaring independence

TAIWAN HAS SAID it is “a sovereign and independent country”, after US President Donald Trump warned the democratic island against declaring formal independence.

Trump wrapped up a state visit to Beijing on Friday, where Chinese President Xi Jinping had pressed him not to support Taiwan, the self-ruled democratic island which Beijing claims as its territory.

Taiwan depends heavily on US security backing to deter China from carrying out its threat to annex the island by force.

Taiwan “is a sovereign and independent country, and neither it nor the People’s Republic of China is subordinate to the other”, Taiwan’s foreign ministry said in a statement.

“These are internationally recognized facts and the objective status quo across the Taiwan Strait. China has no right to interfere in Taiwan’s diplomatic relations.”

In a subsequent statement, it said it is “self-evident” that Taiwan is “a sovereign democratic country” and that Beijing “has no right to claim jurisdiction over Taiwan”

“The government of Taiwan will continue to deepen cooperation with the United States, maintain peace through strength, and ensure that the security and stability of the Taiwan Strait are not threatened or undermined.

“This serves the shared interests of Taiwan, the United States, and democracies around the world.”

The ministry also insisted that US arms sales were part of Washington’s security commitment to Taiwan, after Trump said it “depends on China” and was a “very good negotiating chip for us”.

Taiwan’s statements came after Trump issued a warning to the island against making a declaration of independence.

“I’m not looking to have somebody go independent. And, you know, we’re supposed to travel 9,500 miles to fight a war. I’m not looking for that,” he told Fox News’ “Special Report with Bret Baier”.

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“I want them to cool down. I want China to cool down. We’re not looking to have wars, and if you kept it the way it is, I think China’s going to be OK with that.”

But Trump added that “nothing’s changed” on US policy towards Taiwan.

The US recognises only Beijing and does not support formal independence by Taiwan, but historically has stopped short of explicitly saying it opposes independence.

Under US law, the United States is required to provide weapons to Taiwan for its defence, but it has been ambiguous on whether US forces would come to the island’s aid.

Xi had begun the summit with a warning on Taiwan, whose President Lai Ching-te considers the island already independent, making a declaration unnecessary.

The Chinese leader told Trump that missteps on the sensitive issue could cause “conflict”.

Ahead of the summit, Trump had said he would speak to Xi about US arms sales to Taiwan, a departure from Washington’s previous insistence that it would not consult Beijing on the matter.

Taiwan’s parliament recently approved a $25 billion (€21.5 billion) defence spending bill that will be used for US weapons.

Speaking to reporters on Friday en route to Washington, Trump said: “I’ll make a determination over the next fairly short period of time.”

Taiwan’s foreign ministry said Saturday that arms were “not only a US security commitment to Taiwan clearly stipulated in the Taiwan Relations Act, but also a form of joint deterrence against regional threats”.

China has sworn to take the island and has not ruled out using force, ramping up military pressure in recent years.

- © AFP 2026