Donald Trump on talks with Xi Jinping: Taiwan, customs and artificial intelligence

Trump, speaking to journalists before flying to a college football game in Tennessee, said that the Taiwan issue did not feature much in his talks with Xi Jinping.

We haven't talked much about Taiwan with Xi. Right now it's, you know, okay. Everything's going fine. Xi understands very well what I think about this, said the American president.

Trump has so far maintained the policy of the so-called strategic ambiguity regarding the possible defense of Taiwan. At the same time, he has criticized the authorities in Taipei in the past, accusing them of "stealing" the American semiconductor industry.

US ambassador in Beijing David Perdue previously reported that China is pushing for a change in Washington's position - from "not supporting" Taiwan's independence to actively "opposing" it. He noted that the US rejects this pressure.

Xi urges caution

According to the Chinese Xinhua agency, Xi Jinping was to call on the American side to take a cautious approach to the Taiwan issue.

We hope that the American side will stick to the correct position opposing Taiwan's "independence", approach the problem carefully and lay solid foundations for strategic cooperation, said the Chinese leader, quoted by Xinhua.

Beijing recognizes Taiwan as part of China and does not rule out using force to take control of the island. Taipei rejects the claims of the Chinese authorities.

Customs, coal and the AI hotline

The White House statement, published on Friday night, shows that one of the specific results of Xi Jinping's visit to Washington was an agreement on the future mutual reduction of tariffs on "non-sensitive" goods worth $30 billion.

The agreement will cover, among others, American crops, wood and medical devices, as well as small consumer appliances, toys, decorations and children's seats imported from China. China is also to buy one million tons of coal from the US.

Both countries are also to establish a "hotline" between the capitals, which will be used in the event of incidents related to artificial intelligence security.

Trump emphasized on Saturday that he talked to Xi about AI and is opposed to limiting the development of this technology and its "integration" with other countries. He added that the Chinese leader liked the term "superintelligence" he used to refer to AI.

Trump on Iran, Ukraine and Cuba

The US president also confirmed that he rejected the proposed ceasefire with Iran. It would involve opening the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for lifting the blockade and sanctions.

Trump said that Iran has "outsmarted itself" and wants an agreement because it is losing and losing money due to the blockade. He declared that he wanted to conclude an agreement, but on different terms.

The American leader also again appealed to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian leader Vladimir Putin to conclude a peace agreement "before a difficult winter."

He also repeated that he intended to conclude an agreement with Cuba and, as he stated, military intervention on the island would not be necessary.