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Taiwan tries to dispel doubts about Washington after Trump refers to trade ‘unification’
The island’s presidential office says reference did not relate to Taiwan and the situation is unchanged
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Vanessa Caiin Shanghai
Washington’s commitment to Taiwan remains “strong and unchanged”, authorities on the island have said, seeking to dispel public concerns about a reference to unification by US President Donald Trump.
Trump made the reference on Monday after trade talks with Beijing that led to a temporary rollback in mutual tariffs.
“They’ve agreed to open China, fully open China, and I think it’s going to be fantastic for China, I think it’s going to be fantastic for us, and I think it’s going to be great for unification and peace,” he said.
The US State Department later clarified: “It’s clear President Trump was speaking in the context of the US-China trade relationship.”
00:45
Trump says he can see himself dealing directly with Xi on US-China trade deal details
Trump says he can see himself dealing directly with Xi on US-China trade deal details
But Trump’s remarks created concern in “some government and diplomatic circles” in Taiwan about whether US policy towards the island had changed, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing multiple unnamed sources.
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