Expert Challenges Trump’s Account of Xi Meeting, Says Taiwan Assurances ‘Inconceivable’

BUSAN, South Korea – Nov. 3, 2025: Former U.S. President Donald Trump said Chinese President Xi Jinping did not raise Taiwan during their talks in Busan last week, a claim a leading foreign policy scholar called “inconceivable.” The leaders met on Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025, alongside the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, amid long-running tensions over cross-strait security and U.S.-China relations.

Trump’s five-day Asia trip featured high-level engagements, new trade deals, and the signing of the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accords, but uncertainty over Taiwan’s security and the trajectory of U.S.-China ties persists.

What Trump Said About Taiwan in the Xi Meeting

Speaking to CBS News’ Norah O’Donnell on Sunday’s episode of 60 Minutes, Trump asserted Taiwan was not discussed with Xi.

“This never even came up yesterday, as a subject,” Trump told CBS News’ Norah O’Donnell on Sunday’s episode of 60 Minutes when asked about the subject. “[Xi] never brought it up. People were a little surprised at that. He never brought it up, because he understands it, and he understands it very well.

“Taiwan is a very interesting case. It’s 69 miles away from China. We’re 9,500 miles away. But that doesn’t matter. He understands-what will happen. He and I have spoken about it. But it was never even brought up during a two and a ha-or two-and-a-half-hour meeting we had yesterday.”

Trump added: “I don’t want to give away-I can’t give away my secrets. I don’t want to be one of these guys that tells you exactly what’s gonna happen if something happens. The other side knows, but-I’m not somebody that tells you everything because you’re askin’ me a question. But they understand what’s gonna happen. And-he has openly said, and his people have openly said at meetings, ‘We would never do anything while President Trump is president’ because they know the consequences.”

Expert Reaction: ‘Inconceivable’ Assurance From Xi

Rajan Menon, senior research scholar at Columbia University’s Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies, disputed Trump’s characterization, emphasizing the centrality of Taiwan to Beijing’s policy.

“I find it inconceivable that President Xi explicitly assured President Trump that China would not take military action against Taiwan (to achieve reunification or in the unlikely event that Taiwan were to declare independence) during Trump’s presidency, or indeed at any time beyond that,” Menon told Military.com.

“That would be completely out of character with Chinese policy and Xi’s diplomatic style. Plus, Taiwan is of such great importance to the Chinese authorities that do not explicitly rule out this or that measure when it comes to national reunification,” he added.

Background: Taiwan at the Heart of U.S.-China Tensions

Concerns about a potential conflict in the Taiwan Strait remain elevated as Chinese military activity near Taiwan continues. U.S. intelligence assessments have long warned that a confrontation could be possible in the future, underscoring Taiwan’s strategic importance to both Washington and Beijing.

Outcomes From Trump’s APEC Trip

Trump met with Xi in Busan, South Korea, and held talks with Asian leaders as part of APEC. The visit included diplomatic and economic agreements across the region:

• Meetings with leaders of Cambodia and Thailand, culminating in the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accords.
• Trade deals signed with Cambodia and Malaysia.
• Engagements with Japanese leadership on regional security and economic issues.
• Steps to shore up trade frameworks with Thailand and Vietnam.
• Agreements on critical minerals, highlighting supply chain priorities.

Analysis: No ‘Common Understanding’ on Taiwan

Richard Haas, president emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations, wrote that the Trump-Xi session appeared focused on trade dynamics rather than resolving core geopolitical disputes, notably Taiwan.

“Perhaps more important, what did not emerge from the Trump-Xi meeting is any comprehensive rationale for this era of US-China relations, one that governs not just trade and investment but also geopolitical differences,” Haas wrote. “No surprise, then, that these talks ended with no common understanding about Taiwan, while China’s purchases of Russian energy and support of Russia’s military will continue.

“While these issues are sure to come up and even dominate Trump’s announced visit to China next April, progress is far from guaranteed.”

Why It Matters

Absence of a Taiwan framework from the Busan discussions leaves a critical gap in U.S.-China relations as tensions persist over military activity and strategic competition. The differing accounts from Trump and experts reflect the high stakes and opacity that continue to define cross-strait stability.

Conclusion: Next Steps and Unresolved Questions

With no common understanding on Taiwan emerging from Busan and a visit by Trump to China announced for next April, the future of U.S.-China relations remains uncertain. Analysts caution that while trade ties saw movement, the most sensitive security issues – including Taiwan – are unresolved, and, as Haas notes, “progress is far from guaranteed.”