US stance on Taiwan crucial to possible Trump-Xi summit: expert

US President Donald Trump’s stance on Taiwan will be pivotal to the success of a long-awaited potential next visit to Beijing, according to a prominent Chinese scholar.

When he is in China, Trump “should say very clearly that the US does not support Taiwan independence”, said Wu Xinbo, dean of the Institute of International Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai, who added it would not be new for a US president to say that.

Wu said that the national security teams from both Washington and Beijing should meet face-to-face as soon as possible to pave the way for a summit.

Beijing sees Taiwan as part of China to be reunited by force if necessary. Most countries, including the United States, do not recognise Taiwan as an independent state, but Washington is opposed to any attempt to take the self-governed island by force and is committed to supplying it with weapons.

Still, the US State Department in February removed a phrase on its official website that the country does not support Taiwan independence, describing the change as a “routine” update.

“Trump has to clarify the US position on this very important issue when he comes to China. Without that, I don’t think his visit will be successful,” Wu said on Friday during Tsinghua University’s World Peace Forum in Beijing, jointly organised with the Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs.