US President Donald Trump has warned that Chinese President Xi Jinping “understands the consequences” if China invades Taiwan. However, he refused to reveal whether the United States would intervene militarily.

In an interview with CBS 60 Minutes aired on Sunday, Trump said Taiwan “never even came up as a subject” during his recent meeting with Xi in South Korea. It was the two leaders’ first face-to-face meeting in six years.

When asked if he would deploy US forces in case of a Chinese attack on Taiwan, Trump replied, “You’ll find out if it happens, and he understands the answer to that.”

Pressed for clarity, Trump declined to elaborate. “I can’t give away my secrets. The other side knows,” he said.

‘They Know the Consequences,’ Says Trump

Trump claimed that Xi and his top officials had “openly said” they would not move against Taiwan “while President Trump is president, because they know the consequences.”

China views Taiwan as part of its territory and has vowed to reunify it, by force if necessary. The United States, while recognising Beijing under its “One China” policy, remains Taiwan’s main defence partner and arms supplier.

Meeting Focused on Trade, Not Taiwan

During their summit in South Korea, Trump and Xi avoided the Taiwan issue entirely. Instead, they discussed trade and technology, aiming to ease tensions between the world’s two largest economies.

Pentagon Criticises China’s Actions in South China Sea

Meanwhile, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth criticised China for its “destabilising actions” in the South China Sea. Speaking in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, he pledged US support to Southeast Asian nations to strengthen their maritime defence.

During talks with ASEAN defence ministers, Hegseth called for the creation of shared “maritime domain awareness.” He accused China of showing “a lack of respect” and threatening the region’s territorial sovereignty.

“You live it on the threats we all face from China’s aggression and course of actions in the South China Sea and elsewhere,” he said.

He urged allies to boost cooperation. “We need to develop our joint capabilities to respond, and this includes being able to monitor maritime conduct and develop the tools that allow us to respond quickly … ensuring that whoever is on the receiving end of aggression and provocation is then, therefore, by definition, not alone.”

Hegseth added, “No one can innovate and scale like the United States of America, and we’re eager to share those capabilities with allies and partners.”