Trump warns Xi of consequences if China invades Taiwan: 'You'll find out if it happens'
US president Donald Trump did not reveal his strategy on a potential Taiwan conflict and insisted China "understands what will happen" if it attempts any aggression.
US President Donald Trump on Monday said that China "knows the consequences" if it attacks Taiwan, asserting that Chinese President Xi Jinping understands the situation "very well." Trump said this during an interview with CBS following his meeting with Xi.Trump said, "You'll find out if it happens, and he understands the answer to that. This never even came up yesterday as a subject. He never brought it up. People were a little surprised that he never brought it up because he understands it, and he understands it very well."
Trump declines to reveal strategy on Taiwan conflict
However, Trump did not reveal his strategy on a potential Taiwan conflict and insisted China "understands what will happen" if it attempts any aggression.
He added, "I can't give away my secrets. I don't want to be one of these guys that tells you exactly what's going to happen if something happens. The other side knows, but I'm not somebody that tells you everything because you're asking me a question, but they understand what's going to happen."
Trump claims China avoids acting against Taiwan during his presidency
Trump further added that Chinese officials avoided acting against Taiwan during his presidency claiming they knew the "consequences."
Trump further stated, "He has openly said, and his people have openly said at meetings, we would never do anything while President Trump is president because they know the consequences."
US Secretary of War expresses concern over Taiwan conflict
In the meantime, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth expressed concern over China's growing military assertiveness around Taiwan and in the South China Sea during his first face-to-face meeting with China's Minister of National Defense Admiral Dong Jun in Malaysia on October 31.
The meeting, held alongside a summit of Southeast Asian defence chiefs, followed a day after Trump's talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in South Korea, as reported by The Epoch Times.
According to The Epoch Times, Hegseth stated on X that he underscored the "importance of maintaining a balance of power in the Indo-Pacific," emphasising America's concerns about China's increasing activities that threaten Taiwan and regional allies.
With inputs from ANI