'I'm Not Looking to Have Someone Go Independent': Trump's Message to Taiwan After Meeting Xi

He was more direct on one point though. He said he was not looking for Taiwan to move toward formal independence, which is the scenario Beijing fears most. “We’re not looking to have somebody say, ‘Let’s go independent because the United States is backing us,'” Trump said, adding that the US was not in the business of travelling thousands of miles to fight a war over the issue. “I’m not looking to have someone go independent and we have to travel 9,500 to fight a war,” Trump said.