(Washington = Yonhap News) Correspondent Hong Jeong-gyu = On the 24th (local time), the leaders of the United States and China showed quite different reactions to the Taiwan issue and the war with Iran, which are pending issues between the two countries.
Chinese President Xi Jinping was reported to have said at a meeting with US President Donald Trump held at the White House in Washington DC on this day, "I hope the US will maintain the correct stance against 'Taiwan independence' and handle the Taiwan issue carefully."
It is noteworthy that President Xi's remarks were introduced in about two hours through the state-run media, China Central Television (CCTV) and Xinhua News Agency.
This is because Chinese authorities disclosed through state media that President Xi had pressured President Trump to express his opposition to Taiwan's independence while the two countries had not officially announced the results of the meeting.
This means that the Taiwan issue is President Xi's top priority during this meeting, and that he wants to receive confirmation from the United States of his firm perception that 'Taiwan is Chinese territory.'
President Xi is said to have repeatedly stated in President Trump's presence that "China's position to protect national unity and territorial integrity is very clear."
President Xi's demand also means that the US government's official position of 'we do not support Taiwan independence, but we do not want any form of coercive action to change the status quo' is insufficient.
President Xi considers the Taiwan issue to be China's "core core interest" and entered the meeting by drawing a "red line" that the United States should not cross.
It is not known how President Trump responded to President Xi's request. The Chinese media that reported President Xi's remarks did not report whether President Trump had commented on this.
However, President Trump seemed to avoid mentioning the Taiwan issue in public.
When reporters asked him at the helipad in front of the White House after the meeting whether he had discussed the Taiwan issue, he simply replied, "We had a great meeting."
During the May summit, President Trump told reporters on the plane on his way home, "President Xi is taking a very hard line (on the Taiwan issue). I didn't make any promises."
This was interpreted to mean that the United States did not confirm China's demands that it should not sell weapons to Taiwan, recognize it as a country, support its independence, or intervene in Taiwan's emergency.
When asked by reporters at the time whether he would defend Taiwan if China attacks, President Trump responded, "President Xi asked me that today, and I said I don't talk about such things."
In the end, this time, President Xi demanded an even stronger tone in expressing his stance against Taiwan's independence, while President Trump may have intentionally shown an ambiguous position instead of giving a definitive answer.
In a Fox News interview immediately after the May summit, President Trump said he would decide whether to sell weapons to Taiwan and referred to it as a "good bargaining chip," indicating his perception that the Taiwan issue could be used as a bargaining chip against China.
The temperature difference between the leaders of the United States and China was felt not only over the Taiwan issue but also over the Iran war.
President Trump hopes that China will play some role in the Iran war, which has been going on for nearly seven months, or at least join in putting economic pressure on Iran.
However, it was reported that President Xi's remarks on the Iran war were limited to the general level, saying, "I hope that both sides will quickly return to the track of resolving the issue through dialogue and negotiations, ultimately reach a comprehensive agreement, including on the nuclear issue, and achieve peace as soon as possible."
President Trump was asked by reporters how issues such as Taiwan and Iran were handled at this meeting, but he gave a 'same answer' by saying, "He (President Xi) was very interested in granite. He likes granite."
Regarding the war with Iran, it is assumed that the two leaders maintained their respective positions and were unable to reach any significant agreement.
