Arriving back at the White House after his state visit to China, President Donald Trump made only brief comments to the press, claiming the visit was a “historic success” and that “we made great deals, we made great trade deals, we have great relationships, and a lot of things have happened and you’ll be hearing about them.”
Meanwhile, Trump’s comments on Taiwan have caused a heavy dose of panic among those who want to see the U.S. “confront” China. Trump told Fox News’ Bret Baier in a May 14 interview from Beijing that he had discussed Taiwan and the US’s potential $14 billion arms sale to the island in “great detail,” but that he’s not interested in fighting a war 9,500 miles away. “I will say this: I’m not looking for somebody to go independent, and we’re supposed to travel 9,500 miles to fight a war. I’m not looking for that. I want them to cool down. I want China to cool down,” Trump told Baier.
“I’m not sure that they [China] would do anything if it remained as is,” Trump added. He criticized those in Taiwan who want to push for independence, since this will mean they “get into a war.” “They figure they have the United States behind them. I’d like to see it stay the way it is,” he said.