Trump Says China ‘Knows the Consequences’ If It Invades Taiwan

Trump Says China ‘Knows the Consequences’ If It Invades Taiwan - U.S. president said Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping ‘never brought it up because he understands it, and he understands it very well.’

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Nov 3, 2025 - 10:53
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Trump Says China ‘Knows the Consequences’ If It Invades Taiwan

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President Donald Trump said Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader Xi Jinping understands “very well” what would happen in the event China invades Taiwan, therefore the topic never came up in their bilateral meeting.

“He understands the answer to that. Never even came up yesterday as a subject. He never brought it up,” Trump said in a “60 Minutes” interview that took place on Oct. 31, the day after his meeting with Xi. A preview of the program was published online Nov. 2.

There had been reports that Beijing was pressing Washington to change its stance on Taiwan ahead of the U.S.–China trade talks, and Trump said people were “a little surprised” they did not talk about Taiwan.

“He never brought it up because he understands it, and he understands it very well,” Trump said.

The United States has maintained a position of “strategic ambiguity” regarding the defense of Taiwan.

Under the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979, the United States has no defense pact with Taiwan but continues to sell Taiwan arms.

“I can’t give away my secrets,” Trump said, declining to comment on whether the United States would defend Taiwan in the event of conflict with China.

He added that “the other side knows” what would happen.

“[Xi] has openly said, and his people have openly said at meetings, ‘we would never do anything while President Trump is president,’ because they know the consequences,” Trump said.

Trump has played a key role in ending several conflicts in his second term, including between Thailand and Cambodia. He joined the heads of state of the two countries to sign the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accords in an Oct. 26 ceremony.

Days later, Trump delivered keynote remarks at an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation event in South Korea, where he said that several peace deals he helped bring about were done through economic pressure and incentives. He said he had told the heads of Thailand and Cambodia that the United States did not want to sign trade deals with countries about to go to war, raising the idea of 250 percent tariffs. He said he did the same with Pakistan and India, and they, too, backtracked after considering the economic consequences. Tariffs that high would make doing business with the United States untenable.

Xi has been open about his goal of taking Taiwan, and previously ordered the Chinese military to achieve combat readiness to do so by 2027.

U.S. Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth recently joined regional allies in raising concerns with Beijing over its military aggression in the region.
“I highlighted the importance of maintaining a balance of power in the Indo-Pacific and emphasized U.S. concerns about China’s activities in the South China Sea, around Taiwan, and towards U.S. allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific,” Hegseth said on X on Oct. 30 after he met with Chinese Minister of National Defense Adm. Dong Jun.

“United States does not seek conflict, it will continue to stoutly defend its interests and ensure it has the capabilities in the region to do so,” Hegseth said.

Hegseth has met with top defense officials from Japan, India, and the Philippines recently to discuss regional security, during which he highlighted the Chinese regime’s aggression.

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