U.S. President Donald Trump’s comment on “unification” was about the U.S.-China trade relationship and U.S. policy towards Taiwan has not changed, the de facto embassy on the island said on Tuesday, after the wording caused unease in Taipei.
China claims democratically-governed Taiwan as its own territory and has vowed to “reunify” with the island, by force if necessary. Taiwan’s government rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims, saying only the island’s people can decide their future.
Washington and Beijing on Monday agreed to slash steep tariffs for at least 90 days, pausing their trade war, a move Trump praised when speaking to reporters at the White House.
“They’ve agreed to open China, fully open China, and I think it’s going to be fantastic for China, I think it’s going to be fantastic for us, and I think it’s going to be great for unification and peace,” he said, without mentioning Taiwan.
In a statement, the American Institute in Taiwan, which operates as a de facto embassy in the absence of formal diplomatic ties, said Trump was speaking about U.S.-China trade.
“It’s clear President Trump was speaking in the context of the U.S.-China trade relationship,” a spokesperson said. “U.S. policy on Taiwan remains the same, and the U.S. approach to Taiwan has remained consistent across decades and administrations.”
