President Trump said on Monday that he doesn’t think China wants to invade Taiwan and expressed optimism about reaching a trade deal with Beijing despite his recent threat to increase tariffs in response to China’s rare earth export restrictions.
“I think we’ll be just fine with China. China doesn’t want to do that,” Trump told reporters in response to a question about China invading Taiwan, according to POLITICO. “As it pertains to Taiwan, and that doesn’t mean it’s not the apple of his eye, because probably it is, but I don’t see anything happening.”
The president’s comments contradict claims from US War Secretary Pete Hegseth, who said earlier this year that the threat China poses to Taiwan could be “imminent.” For years, the Pentagon has been claiming that China was preparing to be ready to invade by 2027, but the claim has never been confirmed by Beijing.
Trump is set to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping later this month on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation in South Korea, and he believes he can work out a deal before 100% tariffs on Chinese goods are supposed to take effect in November.
“I think when we finish our meetings in South Korea, China and I will have a really fair and really great trade deal together,” Trump said. He also said that he was planning to visit China in early 2026 after receiving an invitation from Beijing.
Trump made the comments on Monday while hosting Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the White House. While downplaying the threat of China, Trump also endorsed AUKUS, a military pact between the US, the UK, and Australia meant to counter Beijing that focuses on technology sharing and will arm Canberra with nuclear-powered submarines.
