Taiwan Envoy Says Trump Heard Beijing’s Narrative on Cross-Strait Tensions

Taiwan’s top representative in Washington, Alexander Yui, said U.S. President Donald Trump was likely hearing “the Chinese version” of events during his recent visit to Beijing, after Trump suggested both China and Taiwan should “cool it” amid rising tensions across the Taiwan Strait.

Speaking in an interview about Donald Trump’s post-summit remarks, Yui challenged the idea that Taiwan is moving toward formal independence, arguing that Beijing’s portrayal of the situation does not reflect Taiwan’s position.

“Why would President Trump say Taiwan needs to cool it?” Yui asked, before suggesting that during Trump’s two-day stay in Beijing he was exposed primarily to China’s narrative that Taiwan is attempting to break away from China.

Yui rejected that claim outright, saying Taiwan has never been governed by the People’s Republic of China and therefore cannot be considered to be “seceding” from it.

“We’ve never been part of the People’s Republic of China,” he said, noting that the Republic of China — Taiwan’s official name — was founded in 1912, while the People’s Republic of China was established in 1949.

According to Yui, the governments on Taiwan and mainland China “were never subordinate to each other,” arguing there has never been a political union between the two sides.

The envoy also referenced recent comments from Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, who stated there is no “Taiwan independence movement” because Taiwan already sees itself as a sovereign and independent nation operating under the name Republic of China.

Yui said Taiwan’s goal is to preserve the current status quo, while accusing Beijing of trying to alter the balance through intimidation and military pressure.

He alleged that China is attempting to “absorb Taiwan by coercion, by military means, by invasion,” and through other forms of pressure based on Beijing’s historical claims over the island.

To counter those arguments, Yui compared China’s position to historical territorial disputes elsewhere, saying that relying solely on history could also lead to claims such as Mexico attempting to reclaim Texas and California, or Mongolia asserting claims over China because parts of China were once under the Mongol Empire.

“Taiwan is the Republic of China, 23 million people in a democracy,” Yui said, adding that Beijing has “never ruled over Taiwan.”

“There’s no such thing as secession or reunification because there’s never been a unification between the two sides,” he added.

When asked whether Trump and President Lai could hold direct talks or a phone call in the near future, Yui declined to give specifics, saying only that he would “keep you posted.”

Still, he emphasized that communication between Taipei and Washington remains active and ongoing. Yui also pointed to repeated public statements from the United States reaffirming that Washington’s policy toward Taiwan has not changed.