'China is very patient': Trump says Xi Jinping told him Beijing will not invade Taiwan during his presidency

US President Donald Trump has said that his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, has told him that Taiwan will not be invaded during the Republican leader’s presidency.

“I will tell you, you know, you have a very similar thing with President Xi of China and Taiwan, but I don’t believe there’s any way it’s going to happen as long as I’m here. We’ll see,” Trump told Fox News ahead of his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

He added, “He told me, ‘I will never do it as long as you’re president’. President Xi told me that and I said, ‘Well, I appreciate that, ’ but he also said, ‘But I am very patient and China is very patient. ’”

Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping held their first confirmed phone call of Trump’s second term in June. Trump had previously claimed in April that Xi had called him, though he did not clarify when that conversation occurred.

China views Taiwan as its own territory and has vowed to “reunify” with the democratic and separately governed island, by force if necessary. Taiwan strongly objects to China’s sovereignty claims.

Taiwan’s military exercise

Last month, Taiwan launched its annual 10-day-long military exercise as China expanded its belligerent moves against the island nation, which it considers its own. The drills are intended to guard against Beijing’s expansionist behaviour.

This year’s 10-day live-fire Han Kuang drills were the longest yet and followed the delivery of a range of new weaponry from tanks to waterborne drones. The drills in Taiwan come as regional tensions and harassment by China and its People’s Liberation Army (PLA) are increasing.

The drills began with exercises to counter the actions of Chinese Coast Guard and maritime militia ships that have been harassing Taiwanese ships around offshore island groups close to the Chinese coast, the Defence Ministry said.