Taiwan has insisted it is a sovereign and independent nation after President Donald Trump warned it against formally declaring independence from China.

Taipei Pushes Back

Presidential spokesperson Karen Kuo called it “self-evident” that Taiwan is “a sovereign, independent democratic country.”

She added, however, that Taipei remains committed to maintaining the cross-strait status quo, neither formally declaring independence nor pursuing unification with China.

Trump Signals No Support For Independence

Trump’s warning came after a two-day summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. Speaking to Fox News, Trump said he had “made no commitment either way” on Taiwan, adding, “I’m not looking to have somebody go independent. I want them to cool down.” Xi “feels very strongly” about the island and “doesn’t want to see a movement for independence,” Trump said.

China considers Taiwan its most sensitive issue in relations with the United States, repeatedly calling it the first red line that must not be crossed. During the summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping warned that mishandling the Taiwan issue could push bilateral ties into dangerously unstable territory.

Beijing, which claims Taiwan as its territory and has not ruled out taking it by force, has ramped up military drills around the island in recent years.

During his interview, Trump also said he would soon decide on an arms package for Taipei worth about $11 billion, a requirement under the Taiwan Relations Act that obligates Washington to support Taiwan's self-defense. Addressing this, Kuo described China’s escalating military posture as “the sole destabilizing factor” in the Indo-Pacific and arms sales as “a mutual deterrence against regional threats,” noting their scale and monetary value have repeatedly reached historic highs.

“I may do it. I may not do it,” Trump said.