Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentIndependentSwipe for next articleIndependent Bulletin homepageDownload our appAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleMike BediganSaturday 16 May 2026 01:58 BSTTrump says he doesnt want to 'travel 9000 miles to fight a war' when asked about defending TaiwanPresident Donald Trump stated he does not want to engage in a war with China over Taiwan, expressing a desire for China to "cool down."Trump remained non-committal regarding future U.S. weapons sales to Taiwan, despite an $11 billion package authorized in December awaiting congressional approval.Taiwan is a self-governing democracy, but the U.S. does not recognize it as a sovereign state, though it is legally obligated to help the island defend itself.China considers Taiwan a breakaway part of its mainland that must be unified, a perennial point of tension in U.S.-China relations.During his Beijing summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping warned Trump that mishandling the Taiwan issue could lead to a "clash or even conflict" and place U.S.-China relations in a "very dangerous place."In fullTrump says he doesn’t want ‘to travel 9,500 miles to fight a war’ with China over TaiwanThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in