Trump: Xi Assured No Taiwan Invasion; US Warns 2027

President Donald Trump told CBS' 60 Minutes that Chinese President Xi Jinping and his advisers "know the consequences" of invading Taiwan and that the issue "never even came up" during their first face-to-face meeting in six years in South Korea. Trump said Xi and his inner circle have "openly said" they would not act against Taiwan while he is president, but he declined to commit to ordering U.S. forces to defend the island, saying, "You'll find out if it happens" and that he could not "give away my secrets," reflecting continued strategic ambiguity. He said the summit focused mainly on easing trade tensions, describing a temporary trade truce with talks of tariff rollbacks, rare-earth commitments and resumed agricultural purchases. Analysts point to rising Chinese military pressure around Taiwan, and U.S. intelligence has warned Xi has directed forces to prepare for a possible invasion by 2027. U.S. policy continues to recognize only Beijing while providing Taiwan the means to defend itself under the Taiwan Relations Act.