What does the Xi-Trump summit’s silence on Taiwan mean for the contentious issue?
The self-ruled island is less of a priority for the US leader and could affect others playing the ‘Taiwan card’, analysts say
After he met Xi, Trump told reporters “Taiwan never came up”, despite the in-person discussion being their first since the US leader returned to the White House in January.
The Chinese readout, released by state news agency Xinhua, also made no mention of Taiwan. That is unusual, given that Beijing has previously used such occasions to restate its position at length and warn Washington against supporting “Taiwan independence” or arming the island.
Beijing sees Taiwan as part of China to be reunited by force if necessary. Most countries, including the United States, do not recognise Taiwan as an independent state, but Washington is opposed to any attempt to take the self-ruled island by force and is committed to supplying it with weapons.