world-economy

Trump Sidesteps Taiwan in China Talks, Calls for De-escalation

President Trump concluded his first visit to China since 2017 with minimal public discussion of Taiwan despite pre-trip pledges to address the contentious issue. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed Taiwan did not feature prominently in Thursday's initial discussions. The White House readout omitted Taiwan entirely, though Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent suggested additional remarks may follow. Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a stark warning that mishandling Taiwan would jeopardize U.S.-China relations. Trump subsequently called for both China and Taiwan to "cool it." The muted approach contrasts sharply with December's announcement of $11 billion in arms sales to Taiwan over Beijing's objections. Taiwan manufactures some of the world's most advanced semiconductors.