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US President Donald Trump’s warning to Taiwan against formally declaring independence from China has prompted a response from the island’s foreign ministry, which reasserted that it’s a “sovereign democratic country.”
During a state visit to Beijing this week, Trump said that while his policy towards Taiwan had not changed, he was against the idea of it declaring independence from China and seemingly questioned why the US would send military support in the event of an invasion.
“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.
“I want them to cool down. I want China to cool down,” he added.
On Saturday, Taiwan’s foreign ministry responded to Trump’s comments, thanking him for his support in peace efforts in the region but reasserting that it was a “sovereign democratic country.”
“Beijing has no right to claim jurisdiction over Taiwan,” its statement continued, adding that Taiwan’s government would “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.”
A spokesperson for Chinese President Xi Jinping said earlier this week that Taiwan was the “most important issue in China-U.S. relations” and key to the two nation’s future dealings with each other.
China views Taiwan, which has its own democratically elected government, as a breakaway province that must be brought under the control of the mainland, and Xi has not ruled out the use of force.