US President Donald Trump stated on Friday that Chinese President Xi Jinping assured him China would not invade Taiwan while he is in his post, Reuters reported. The remarks were made during an interview with Fox News ahead of discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. “I will tell you, you know, you have a very similar thing with President Xi of China and Taiwan, but I don’t believe there’s any way it’s going to happen as long as I’m here. We’ll see,” Trump said during an interview on Fox News’ “Special Report.” “He told me, ‘I will never do it as long as you’re president.’ President Xi told me that, and I said, ‘Well, I appreciate that,’ but he also said, ‘But I am very patient, and China is very patient,'” Trump added. Trump and Xi held their first confirmed call of Trump’s second presidential term in June. Trump also stated in April that Xi had called him but did not specify when the call took place. China regards Taiwan as its own territory and has pledged to “reunify” the democratic and separately governed island by force if necessary. Taiwan strongly rejects China’s sovereignty claims. The Chinese Embassy in Washington on Friday described the topic of Taiwan as “the most important and sensitive issue” in China-US relations. “The US govt should adhere to the one-China principle and the three US-China joint communiqués, handle Taiwan-related issues prudently, and earnestly safeguard China-US relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,” embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu said in a statement. Although Washington is Taiwan’s main arms supplier and international backer, the US – like most countries – has no formal diplomatic ties with the island.
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