Are Beijing and Washington Entering a New Cold War?

Although Trump recently met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and spoke of various agreements reached during their talks, the issue of Taiwan remains a major point of contention between the two powers.

According to Rokna, on Sunday, Trump indirectly warned China against launching an attack on Taiwan during an interview with CBS’s 60 Minutes.

Trump: China Is Aware of the Consequences of Attacking Taiwan

In the interview, Trump reiterated that the Taiwan issue was not discussed during his recent meeting with Xi Jinping in South Korea. He nevertheless implied that Beijing fully understands the consequences of any military move against Taipei.

According to The Japan Times, Trump stated that Xi Jinping “is aware of the consequences” of a military action against Taiwan, though he avoided confirming whether the United States would defend the island in such a scenario.

Reasserting his earlier claims that China would not dare attack Taiwan while he is in office, Trump said, “He [Xi] has made it clear, and so have his people, that as long as Trump is president, they won’t do anything like that — because they know what the consequences would be.”

When asked whether he would order the U.S. military to respond if China attacked Taiwan, Trump offered a cryptic reply: “If that happens, you will find out.”

Fragile Agreements Between Trump and Xi Jinping

Trump’s remarks came shortly after his Asia tour, during which he met Xi Jinping in South Korea for a briefer-than-expected meeting. On his way back to the United States, Trump said that several agreements had been reached with the Chinese leader. “We agreed on almost everything,” he said. “But some issues were not discussed at all.”

He added, “We focused on China’s export controls over rare earth elements. They intend to maintain this flow, which is very important.”

From Cold War to Cold Peace

Amid the longstanding tensions between Washington and Beijing over Taiwan, a Taiwanese diplomat has suggested that the two superpowers are entering a period of “managed competition.”

Stanley Kao, former representative of Taiwan to the United States, said at a seminar in Taipei on Monday that the U.S. and China are “moving toward a period of managed competition,” in which both sides aim for stability without resolving their fundamental disputes.

Referring to Thursday’s meeting between Trump and Xi Jinping in Busan, South Korea, Kao noted that “Washington and Beijing may be entering not a ‘new Cold War’ but rather a ‘new Cold Peace,’ as both sides show a willingness to compromise on minor issues while remaining firm on the major ones.”