White House aides are growing increasingly anxious that President Donald Trump could make an unexpected concession to China on Taiwan during his upcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to NBC News.
Several officials have urged Trump not to alter the long-standing U.S. stance on Taiwan’s independence. They worry that Trump, eager to secure a major trade deal with Beijing, might soften the U.S. position or adopt new language that tilts toward China.
China considers Taiwan a breakaway province that must eventually reunite with the mainland. Taiwan maintains its self-rule and rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims.
“Everyone is holding their breath,” one person familiar with the talks, who was not named, told the outlet.
According to the report, officials expect Xi to press Trump to publicly state that the United States “opposes” Taiwan’s independence — a shift from the current U.S. formulation that it “does not support” independence.
The report noted that such a statement, though subtle, would mark a sharp departure from decades of U.S. strategic ambiguity on the issue and would be viewed across Asia as a major diplomatic win for Beijing.
“President Trump has repeatedly affirmed that his Taiwan policy has not changed,” a White House official told the outlet. “President Trump leads on all foreign policy — he always puts forward deals that put the American people first.”
A senior State Department official echoed that message and was quoted in the report as saying, “The policy on Taiwan hasn’t changed one bit. It’s as consistent as it’s been for decades.”