Taiwan on Saturday has said it is a “sovereign and independent democratic nation” after Donald Trump warned the island against declaring formal independence following his summit with Xi Jinping in Beijing.
In a statement issued in Taipei on Saturday, May 16, Taiwan’s foreign ministry said the island “is not subordinate to the People’s Republic of China” and defended continued United States arms sales to Taiwan as part of Washington’s security commitments under the Taiwan Relations Act.
The statement came hours after Trump said he did not support a formal declaration of independence by Taiwan, a self-governing island claimed by China.
“I’m not looking to have somebody go independent,” Trump said during an interview with Fox News after concluding his state visit to China.
“And, you know, we’re supposed to travel 9,500 miles to fight a war. I’m not looking for that,” he added.
Trump also called for restraint from both sides, saying: “I want them to cool down. I want China to cool down. We’re not looking to have wars.”
China considers Taiwan part of its territory and has repeatedly said it could use force to bring the island under Beijing’s control if necessary.
During the Beijing summit, Xi warned that mistakes over Taiwan could lead to “conflict” or create an “extremely dangerous situation,” according to reports from Chinese and international media.
Taiwan’s government responded by stressing that its position had not changed.
Taiwan President Lai Ching-te has previously said the island is already independent in practice and does not need to make a formal declaration of statehood.
Taiwan has its own elected government, military, constitution and currency, but only a small number of countries formally recognise it diplomatically because most governments, including the United States, officially recognise Beijing under the “One China” policy.
Despite that policy, Washington remains Taiwan’s main security partner and is required under the Taiwan Relations Act to provide the island with defensive weapons.
Taiwan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Chen Ming-chi said on Saturday that arms sales between Taiwan and the United States remain “a cornerstone of regional peace and stability.”
The Trump administration approved an $11 billion arms package for Taiwan in December 2025, while another proposed deal reportedly worth about $14 billion is still awaiting approval.
Trump said he would decide on future weapons sales “over the next fairly short period of time.”
Taiwan’s Presidential Office also said the United States had repeatedly assured Taipei that its policy toward Taiwan remained unchanged.
Spokesperson Karen Kuo said “Taiwan-US cooperation has always been demonstrated through action” and added that China’s military pressure remained “the sole destabilising factor” in the Taiwan Strait and Indo-Pacific region.
