Trump’s warm welcome for Xi met with caution and uncertainty in Taiwan

Taiwanese officials and observers have reacted cautiously to the Washington summit between US President Donald Trump and the Chinese mainland’s President Xi Jinping, with uncertainty lingering over what the two leaders discussed regarding the island.

The only public mention of Taiwan after Thursday’s closed-door talks between the pair came from Beijing’s official readout, which said Xi had urged Trump to “oppose ‘Taiwan independence’” and “handle the Taiwan question with caution”. The White House did not immediately provide its own detailed account of the exchange.

The summit – the second between Trump and Xi in five months after their May meeting in Beijing – was closely watched in Taiwan, where the elaborate reception for Xi fuelled debate about Trump’s desire to strengthen his personal relationship with the Chinese leader.

Trump and first lady Melania Trump personally greeted Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday, an unusual departure from presidential protocol.