US President Donald Trump apparently blinked when it came to confronting China’s leader over Taiwan. He went on to a high-profile meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea, where he didn’t even bring in the island at the center of what is considered one of the most dangerous flashpoints of the world. On the contrary, he said that this topic of Taiwan “never came up” and seemingly went on to avoid the question despite pressure from the reporters.
This admission from Trump seemed more surprising amidst a situation where Beijing has ramped up its threats and has warned that it “absolutely will not” rule out military action to seize Taiwan, which is a democratic nation, China considers its own. Post the talks of Trump and Xi, Trump seemed in smiles only and claimed the meeting to be friendly and “great,” however, critics accused him of caving to Beijing’s aggression
“I had a truly great meeting with President Xi of China. There is enormous respect between our two Countries, and that will only be enhanced with what just took place…” – President Donald J. Trump pic.twitter.com/6wtEeVbiWp
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) October 30, 2025
“We had a long meeting, as you know, but a lot of things we discussed in great detail. A lot of things we brought to finalization,” Trump told reporters. “I thought it was a great meeting. I think it was a very friendly meeting. It was a good meeting for two very large, powerful countries.”
For years, the United States has pledged to help Taiwan defend itself that too, without official recognition as an independent nation. Not to mention that the previous president had their lines drawn with Beijing, but in Trump’s case, it seems that he backed away from confrontation once again. On the contrary, China didn’t put in any sort of attempt to soften their stance either.
Peng Qing’en, spokesperson for Beijing’s Taiwan Affairs Office, stated that “reunification” with Taiwan was “the best way of resolving the Taiwan issue.” He further said, “We are willing to create ample space for peaceful reunification and will spare no effort to pursue this prospect with the utmost sincerity,” Peng said, according to Reuters. “However, we absolutely will not renounce the use of force and reserve the option to take all necessary measures.”
Experts noted how unusually blunt the warning was. While China often hints at military options, it rarely states them so plainly. Notably, the statement didn’t even appear in Chinese state media reports, including three articles from the government-run Xinhua News Agency about Taiwan’s “reunification.” Back in Washington, fears have been swirling that Trump’s administration might soften America’s commitment to Taiwan — or worse, use it as a bargaining chip to win trade concessions from Beijing.
But Secretary of State Marco Rubio tried to squash those rumors, saying Saturday there are no plans to trade away Taiwan’s security “in exchange for walking away from Taiwan.” Trump, for his part, took to Truth Social after his sit-down with Xi, crowing about what he described as a breakthrough meeting. He hinted at a new trade deal “very close to resolved,” boasting that tariffs may soon drop, that China could grant the U.S. easier access to rare earth minerals, and that Beijing would “begin the purchase of massive amounts of soybeans.”
“We agreed on many things, with others, even of high importance, being very close to resolved,” Trump wrote. Critics, however, say Trump’s “great meeting” looked more like a missed opportunity, one where the self-styled dealmaker failed to mention the one issue that matters most in the Pacific.
