Washington: US President Donald Trump announced on Friday that Chinese President Xi Jinping assured him that China would not invade Taiwan while Trump remains in office. This statement was made during an interview with Fox News, preceding Trump's discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin concerning Moscow's ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

According to TRTworld.com, Trump remarked, "I will tell you, you know, you have a very similar thing with President Xi of China and Taiwan, but I don't believe there's any way it's going to happen as long as I'm here. We'll see," during his appearance on Fox News' "Special Report."

China considers Taiwan to be part of its territory and has expressed intentions to "reunify" with the independently governed island, potentially by force. Taiwan firmly rejects China's sovereignty claims. The Chinese Embassy in Washington emphasized on Friday that Taiwan is "the most important and sensitive issue" in China-US relations.

Embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu stated, "The US government should adhere to the one-China principle and the three US-China joint communiques, handle Taiwan-related issues prudently, and earnestly safeguard China-US relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait." While Washington serves as Taiwan's primary arms supplier and international supporter, the US, like most nations, does not maintain formal diplomatic ties with the island.