Trump Warns Taiwan Against Independence Push, Keeps Arms Sale Options Open

President Donald Trump warned Taiwan against seeking independence, saying the U.S. would not automatically back it in a potential war with China.

In an interview with Fox News' Bret Baier set to air Tuesday on Special Report at 6 p.m. ET, Trump described his negotiations with Chinese President Xi Jinping and their implications for global security. Baier asked if people in Taiwan should feel more or less secure after those meetings. "Neutral. This has been going on for years," Trump replied, adding that U.S. policy on Taiwan remains unchanged.

"Nothing's changed. I will say this: I'm not looking to have somebody go independent. And, you know, we're supposed to travel 9,500 miles to fight a war. I'm not looking for that. I want them to cool down. I want China to cool down."

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Xi had warned of possible future clashes or conflicts with the U.S. over Taiwan. Trump would not commit to approving the $14 billion U.S. arms package for Taiwan, which lawmakers pre-approved last year but the White House has not advanced.

Pressed on the package, Trump said, "I may do it. I may not do it." He added, "We're not looking to have wars. If you kept it the way it is, I think China is [going to] be OK with that. But we're not looking to have somebody say, 'Let's go independent because the United States is backing us.'"

China claims Taiwan as its territory and opposes U.S. involvement, including arms sales. The U.S. does not formally recognize Beijing's claim but provides unofficial defense support to the island.

Trump also discussed Iran, rejecting claims that his administration underestimated the mission's difficulty. "I didn't underestimate anything. We hit them unbelievably hard," he said. "Look, we left their bridges. We left their electricity capacity. We can knock that all out in two days. Two days."

"Vietnam lasted 19 years. Iraq was like 10 years. Korea was seven years. Another one was 14 years. Another one was 12 years. Another one was nine years. We're in there [Iran] for two and a half months,"

On Hong Kong media executive Jimmy Lai, a Catholic imprisoned for criticizing Beijing, Trump said he raised the issue with Xi along with two other detainees. "It's under consideration. I will say that I brought up Jimmy Lai, and I would say the response to that was not positive," Trump said. He added he felt pessimistic about Lai's case but optimistic about the second detainee.