Trump Says "You'll Find Out If It Happens" When Asked About Defending Taiwan in Case of Emergency

"Xi Jinping Understands This Issue Very Well"

Donald Trump, President of the United States. Photo by Reuters and Yonhap News Agency

On November 2 (local time), President Donald Trump of the United States stated, regarding whether the U.S. would defend Taiwan if China took military action against it, "You will find out if that happens." This is being interpreted as a continuation of his strategically ambiguous stance amid ongoing speculation about a possible Chinese invasion of Taiwan in 2027.

In an interview aired on CBS's "60 Minutes" on this day, President Trump was asked whether he would order the U.S. military to defend Taiwan if Chinese President Xi Jinping took military action. He responded, "He (President Xi) knows what the answer is," but added, "This topic was not brought up at all in our conversation yesterday." The interview took place at Mar-a-Lago Resort in Florida on October 31, immediately after President Trump returned from the U.S.-China summit.

He also said, "People were a little surprised by this, but President Xi understands it very well, so he never even mentioned it." However, when asked what exactly President Xi understands, Trump declined to give a direct answer, saying, "I can't reveal all my secrets. I don't want to be the person who explains in detail what I would do if something happens."

President Trump has maintained strategic ambiguity to exert deterrence while avoiding direct confrontation with China. At the same time, he has consistently sent a message that no emergency situation regarding Taiwan would arise during his term. On October 20, when asked about the possibility of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan, he also denied it, saying, "I don't see that happening at all."

On October 30, during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, the leaders of the U.S. and China met for the first time in over six years. However, the issue of cross-strait relations (between China and Taiwan), which is highly sensitive for China, was not brought to the discussion table. The summit's agenda focused primarily on easing trade tensions between the two countries. International diplomatic experts had expected that the cross-strait issue would be discussed in depth, especially since China is hosting next year's APEC summit, but these predictions turned out to be inaccurate.

The Chinese government, which adheres to the "One China" principle, continues to engage in a standoff with Taiwan, which claims to be an independent state. In particular, since Lai Ching-te, who is strongly pro-U.S. and pro-independence, became Taiwan's president last year, China has increased its pressure on Taiwan. On November 2, China issued an official statement criticizing newly appointed Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi for posting on social media a photo of herself meeting with Taiwan's APEC representative Lin Hsin-i during the APEC summit, stating, "Prime Minister Takaichi deliberately interacted with a Taiwanese official and openly promoted it."

Meanwhile, in the same interview, President Trump commented on immigration enforcement by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), saying, "We have not been able to do enough due to the restraints imposed by progressive judges appointed by Biden and Obama," and signaled that he would pursue even stronger immigration enforcement policies in the future. He also shared his views on the possibility of a U.S. government shutdown (temporary suspension of government work) and the outlook for the 2028 presidential election.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.