U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday, 16 May that Chinese President Xi Jinping strongly opposes any move toward Taiwan independence, revealing that the two leaders reached what he described as a 'very good understanding' on Iran, trade, and artificial intelligence during his visit to China. Trump made the remarks to reporters aboard Air Force One while en route to Anchorage, Alaska.

What Trump Said About Taiwan

Trump confirmed that Taiwan emerged as a major subject during his discussions with Xi. According to Trump, Xi cautioned against any push for independence on the self-ruled island. 'He does not want to see a fight for independence because that would be a very strong confrontation,' Trump said, adding, 'I heard him out.'

Notably, Trump repeatedly declined to clarify whether Washington would militarily defend Taiwan in the event of a conflict with China. 'I don't want to say that,' he told reporters when pressed directly. 'There's only one person who knows that. You know who it is, me.' He also indicated his administration was reconsidering future arms sales to Taiwan, saying he would 'make a determination over the next fairly short period of time.'

Trade Deals and Boeing Aircraft Orders

Trump described the China visit as highly productive on the commercial front, claiming the two sides concluded major trade agreements. He specifically cited what he called a potentially record aircraft order involving Boeing and General Electric. 'We had a great stay. It was an amazing period of time,' Trump said. 'Got along, made a lot of great trade deals, including over 200 planes from Boeing, with a promise of 750 planes.'

This comes amid ongoing efforts by both governments to stabilise trade relations following years of tariff escalations and technology restrictions. Independent verification of the aircraft order figures was not immediately available.

Iran, Nuclear Weapons, and the Strait of Hormuz

Trump said Xi also expressed strong opposition to Iran acquiring nuclear weapons and favoured reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil shipping route. 'He feels strongly they can't have a nuclear weapon,' Trump said. 'He wants them to open up the strait.'

Trump further claimed that Iran's military capabilities had been severely weakened following recent U.S. operations. 'We had a total military victory,' he said. 'We knocked out their entire Navy. We knocked out their entire Air Force.' He also said a ceasefire was agreed to partly 'as a favor to Pakistan,' referencing the country's field marshal and prime minister as 'terrific people.'

AI Guardrails and Broader Bilateral Agenda

On artificial intelligence, Trump said Washington and Beijing discussed the possibility of collaborating on 'guardrails' for emerging technologies. 'AI is fantastic,' he said. 'But it's also got some drawbacks.' The acknowledgement of shared AI governance interest marks a rare area of potential cooperation between the two powers amid broader strategic rivalry.

Trump additionally claimed that Xi praised his handling of the American economy and criticised former President Joe Biden, quoting Xi as saying: 'The U.S. was declining for the last four years... What President Trump has done in the last 15, 16 months has been virtually a miracle.' The claim could not be independently verified.

What Comes Next

The remarks raise significant questions about the future of U.S. policy on Taiwan — particularly on arms sales and the longstanding ambiguity around military defence commitments. Analysts will closely watch whether the commercial agreements cited by Trump translate into formal announcements, and whether the reported alignment on Iran and AI produces any concrete bilateral frameworks in the weeks ahead.