China Vows Never to Allow Separation of Taiwan After Trump’s Remarks on Xi’s Assurances

Beijing on Monday reiterated that it will “never allow anyone or any force to separate” Taiwan from China, firmly restating its sovereignty over the island divided from the mainland by a waterway.

The statement came in response to US President Donald Trump’s recent claim that Chinese President Xi Jinping assured him China “will not invade” Taiwan during his presidency. “Taiwan is an inalienable part of China and the Taiwan question is an internal affair of China, and how to resolve it is a matter for the Chinese people,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told reporters in Beijing. She stressed, “We will do our utmost to strive for peaceful reunification, but we will never allow anyone or any force to separate Taiwan from China in any way.”

Last week, Trump said Xi told him that China “will never do” it as long as he remains in office. Trump added that he responded: “Well, I appreciate that,” to which Xi replied: “But I am very patient, and China is very patient.” The US remains Taiwan’s primary arms supplier and key international supporter, though it does not maintain formal diplomatic ties with the island. China continues to claim Taiwan as its “breakaway province”.