Cross-strait diplomatic tensions following Xi-Trump meetings

Following meetings between Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington, diplomatic tensions have escalated between Beijing and Taipei. During these discussions, Xi Jinping emphasized China’s pursuit of national “reunification” and expressed hope that the United States would oppose Taiwan’s independence.

Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned these remarks as a “distortion of facts,” asserting that sovereignty belongs to the people of Taiwan and that the island’s future must be decided through democratic means. Taipei also characterized China as the “true violator” of regional peace due to military threats in the East and South China Seas.

In subsequent discussions, Xi Jinping referenced the historical friendship between China and the United States during World War II. Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) disputed this narrative, arguing that the Republic of China (ROC) was the sovereign entity allied with the U.S. during the war, as the People’s Republic of China was not established until 1949. The MAC maintained that the ROC and the People’s Republic of China are not subordinate to one another and criticized Beijing for attempting to link Taiwan issues to the broader U.S.-China strategic relationship.