As U.S. President Donald Trump began his five-day Asia tour, speculation grew over his anticipated meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. However, Trump struck a cautious tone when pressed about Taiwan — one of the most contentious issues in U.S.-China relations.

Speaking aboard Air Force One en route to Asia, Trump confirmed that Taiwan would likely be discussed during his talks with Xi on the sidelines of next week’s APEC summit in South Korea. Yet, he declined to elaborate, saying, “I don’t want to talk about that now. I don’t want to create any complexity. The trip is already complex enough.”

When asked to clarify his earlier remarks suggesting China would not invade Taiwan, Trump added, “It would be very dangerous for China to make any move on Taiwan.” His brief response underscored the diplomatic sensitivity surrounding the issue, which remains central to tensions between Washington and Beijing.

China claims self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory and has vowed to reunify it, by force if necessary. In recent years, Beijing has ramped up military exercises and economic pressure near the island, raising alarms among Western allies.

The United States maintains a robust but unofficial relationship with Taiwan, guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, which mandates defensive support for the island. This framework forms a cornerstone of Washington’s Indo-Pacific strategy but continues to irritate Beijing, which sees U.S. backing for Taipei as interference in its internal affairs.

Under the U.S. “One China” policy, Washington acknowledges Beijing’s stance that Taiwan is part of China but stops short of recognizing it, maintaining that it does not support formal Taiwanese independence.