Chinese President Xi Jinping told US President Donald Trump on Wednesday night that Taiwan is the most important issue in China-US relations and firmly belongs to China’s territory, sovereignty, and territorial integrity must be safeguarded, and China will never allow Taiwan to be separated [1]. During the call, Xi urged the US to handle arms sales to Taiwan with prudence [1].
Trump responded by saying he understands China's feelings on the Taiwan issue and described the conversation as an "excellent" discussion [1].
The next day, Chen Binhua, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office, reiterated China’s firm stance on Taiwan. Chen said the Taiwan question is "at the core of China’s core interests, and the first red line that cannot be crossed in China-US relations" [1]. Chen criticized the Taiwanese Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) for trying to "seek independence through external support" or by force and urged the US to adhere to the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués when handling the Taiwan question [1].
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian stated that China and US heads of state maintain communication. When questioned about Trump’s claim that Xi would visit the White House this year, Lin did not confirm any details [1].
The phone call on May 4 marked a key engagement between the two leaders on the highly sensitive Taiwan issue, with Beijing restating its core territorial claims and signaling caution toward US arms sales. Chen’s remarks on May 5 reaffirmed Beijing’s red line regarding Taiwan independence efforts.
No specific date has been announced for Xi Jinping’s potential visit to the White House following the phone call dialogue [1].
