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Taiwan will not provoke conflict nor give up sovereignty, says president
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Taiwan will not provoke conflict nor give up sovereignty, says president

BBC News · May 18, 2026, 3:08 AM · Also reported by 4 other sources

Key takeaways

  • According to Chinese state media, Xi had told Trump that Taiwan, a self-governed island claimed by Beijing, was "the most important issue" in bilateral ties and mishandling it could lead to conflict.
  • After his visit to Beijing, Trump issued a warning to Taiwan, telling Fox News: "I'm not looking to have somebody go independent."
  • The US is a longstanding ally of Taiwan and is bound by law to provide the island with the means to defend itself.

Why this matters: a developing story that could shape the day's news cycle.

Koh Ewe Bloomberg via Getty Images Lai Ching-te, in his first direct response to the Trump-Xi meeting, stressed the need for continued US arms sales to Taiwan Taiwan will not provoke any conflict but will also not give up its sovereignty, said its president Lai Ching-te after a high-stakes summit between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping where they discussed the issue of Taiwan's independence.

According to Chinese state media, Xi had told Trump that Taiwan, a self-governed island claimed by Beijing, was "the most important issue" in bilateral ties and mishandling it could lead to conflict.

After his visit to Beijing, Trump issued a warning to Taiwan, telling Fox News: "I'm not looking to have somebody go independent."

Article preview — originally published by BBC News. Full story at the source.
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