US President Donald Trump warned China of “consequences” if it invades Taiwan, saying “you’ll find out” in a CBS interview after his meeting with Xi — transcript highlights, reactions and what this means for U.S.-China ties.
China Warned by Trump Over Possible Taiwan Invasion
In a wide-ranging CBS “60 Minutes” interview, President Donald Trump issued a stark warning to China, saying Beijing “understands the consequences” if it moves militarily on Taiwan and adding, “you’ll find out if it happens.” The comments came after his face-to-face meeting with President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the APEC summit and stopped short of spelling out whether U.S. forces would be committed to defend the island.
Trump told CBS that Taiwan “never even came up” in private talks with Xi, but insisted China’s leadership already “knows what will happen,” refusing to disclose operational details and saying he could not “give away my secrets.” That deliberate ambiguity echoes long-standing U.S. policy on Taiwan while injecting a more personal, confrontational tone from the White House.
Analysts say the remarks could heighten regional unease at a time of warming U.S.-China trade relations. Officials in Taipei and Washington routinely watch presidential statements closely; Trump’s warning is likely to be parsed by diplomats and defence planners for clues about U.S. red lines and deterrence strategy. The broader context includes recent progress on trade and export controls agreed during the Trump-Xi meeting, even as security friction over Taiwan remains the most sensitive issue between the two powers.
