World News | US Has Reiterated Its 'clear and Firm' Support: Taiwan on Trump's Visit to China

Taipei [Taiwan], May 14 (ANI): With the Taiwan issue being one of the core points of deliberation on Trump's visit to China, Taiwan's cabinet spokeswoman, Michelle Lee, on Thursday emphasised that the US has repeatedly been in support of the sovereign status of Taiwan, according to Al Jazeera.

In her remarks to the reporters, she said that the US has "repeatedly reaffirmed" its support for Taiwan.

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Meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jinping warned that the Taiwan issue could push China and the United States towards "clashes and even conflicts" if not handled properly, during talks with US President Donald Trump in Beijing, Xinhua News Agency reported.

According to China's state-run news agency, Xi said safeguarding peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait was the "biggest common denominator" between the two countries.

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The Chinese President added that Taiwan remained the most important issue in China-US relations, and stable ties between the two powers depended on how the matter was handled.

"If it is handled properly, the bilateral relationship will enjoy overall stability. Otherwise, the two countries will have clashes and even conflicts, putting the entire relationship in great jeopardy," Xi said.

Xinhua, further quoting the Chinese President, stated that "Taiwan independence" and peace across the Taiwan Strait were "as irreconcilable as fire and water".

The remarks came during Trump's two-day visit to China from May 13 to 15, where both leaders held high-level discussions amid continuing tensions over trade, technology, regional security and geopolitical competition.

Earlier, on Wednesday, the Chinese Embassy in the United States reiterated its position on key sensitive issues in China-US relations, stating that certain issues constitute "four red lines" that must not be challenged during Trump's visit to China. One of the "red lines" mentioned in the X post was "The Taiwan Question."

Meanwhile, ahead of the meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, senior US officials had said that the two leaders have an ongoing conversation about Taiwan and that there has been no change in American policy.

The senior US officials made the remarks while interacting with the press ahead of President Trump's upcoming visit to China.

When asked if there was a potential shift in the stance of the United States towards Taiwan ahead of the meeting, the officials said, "There is an ongoing conversation between President Trump and General Secretary Xi Jinping about Taiwan. Certainly, the last couple of times they've interacted, it has been a point of discussion. There's been no change in US policy coming out of those. We don't expect to see any changes in US policy going forward."

While Taiwan's government considers itself the head of a de facto sovereign state, China claims the self-governing island of 23 million people as an integral part of its territory. (ANI)

(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)