Days before President Donald Trump departed for Asia where he will sit down with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in South Korea on Thursday for their first in-person meeting of his second term, the president refused to count out the possibility of America’s position on Taiwan getting tangled in US-China trade talks.

“We’re going to be talking about a lot of things. I assume that’s going to be one of the things, but I’m not going to talk about that now,” Trump said when asked about reports that China may pressure the US to oppose Taiwan’s independence in exchange for a larger trade deal.

The refusal to definitively count out Taiwan becoming a pawn in trade talks between the world’s two largest economies comes as Trump has privately and publicly suggested he believes China will not invade the self-ruled island that Beijing claims it owns while he is in office – raising questions about how seriously the president will prioritize boosting Taiwan’s defense during his second term.

Trump again gave an evasive answer on Taiwan as he spoke with reporters on Air Force One en route to South Korea Wednesday for the Asia-Pacific Cooperation summit where he will sit down with Xi, saying he is not even sure the topic will be raised by the Chinese leader. A senior administration official expressed confidence that Trump would not be backed into stating opposition to Taiwan’s independence during the meeting, adding that the meeting will be focused on Xi “holding a gun to the head of the global economy” with its critical mineral export controls.

President Donald Trump speaks to journalists aboard Air Force One en route to South Korea on October 29, 2025. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Secretary of State Marco Rubio also said over the weekend that no one in the administration is contemplating a trade deal that includes “favorable treatment” for walking away from Taiwan.

Some experts remain worried, however, that Trump might be willing to make concessions on Taiwan for a better trade deal