Trump: Hope to Maintain Status Quo in Taiwan Strait, Both Sides Should Work to De-escalate
In a Fox News interview, President Trump stated he does not want to see Taiwan move toward independence, preferring to maintain the status quo, and called for both China and Taiwan to de-escalate.
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- 📰 Published: May 16, 2026 at 10:15
- 🔍 Collected: May 16, 2026 at 10:31 (16 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 16, 2026 at 13:17 (2h 45m after Collected)
(Central News Agency, Washington, 15th, combined foreign reports) US President Trump said in an interview aired today on Fox News that he does not want to see Taiwan move toward independence, but rather wants to maintain the status quo, and said that both China and Taiwan should work to de-escalate the situation. Trump also stated that US policy towards Taiwan has not changed.
When asked by Fox News anchor Bret Baier whether the people of Taiwan should feel safer or less safe after Trump's talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping this week, Trump replied "neutral," adding, "this situation has been going on for years."
Trump also said: "Nothing has changed. I would say, I don't want to see anyone move towards independence. And, you know, we would have to fly 9,500 miles to fight a war, I don't want that. I want them to calm down. I want China to calm down."
When asked by Fox News anchor Bret Baier whether the people of Taiwan should feel safer or less safe after Trump's talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping this week, Trump replied "neutral," adding, "this situation has been going on for years."
Trump also said: "Nothing has changed. I would say, I don't want to see anyone move towards independence. And, you know, we would have to fly 9,500 miles to fight a war, I don't want that. I want them to calm down. I want China to calm down."