Taiwan says US policy unchanged after Trump-Xi summit
By Sean Scanlan September 28, 2026
Alexander Yui says Taiwan was not major topic of leaders’ talks, disputes Beijing’s World War II narrative
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan Representative to the US Alexander Yui Tah-ray (俞大㵢) said Sunday that he believes US policy toward Taiwan remains unchanged following US President Donald Trump’s meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
Yui made the comments during an appearance on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” where he discussed the Trump-Xi summit, Taiwan-US relations, and competing interpretations of World War II history. Asked about Trump’s comments that Taiwan came up during his meeting with Xi but was not a major topic, Yui said Taiwan was mentioned but did not appear in the official statements issued by either side following the meeting. Yui noted that Taiwan did not appear in either side’s statements about the summit’s results, according to the show's transcript.
Yui acknowledged that the Chinese side described Taiwan as a “foundational” issue but said Washington did not endorse Beijing’s position. He pointed to a meeting before Xi’s visit between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the foreign ministers of Japan and South Korea on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
Yui said the three countries reaffirmed their support for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and opposed coercion, while also supporting Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations. He said there had been no change in the US position toward Taiwan.
Yui was also asked about Trump’s comments in May that he wanted to speak with President Lai Ching-te (賴清德). He did not confirm that a call between Trump and Lai had taken place, saying instead that communication between Taiwan and the US remained “open,” “regular,” and “very, very close” at different levels.
The interview also turned to historical references made by Trump and Xi during Xi’s visit to Washington. Yui said Trump had highlighted the role of the US Flying Tigers, while Xi had referred to the Chinese Communist Party's role in fighting Japan during World War II.
“That’s not correct,” Yui said, displaying historical material concerning the Flying Tigers. He also argued that the People's Republic of China was not established until 1949 and therefore could not have been the government fighting alongside the US during the war.
Yui contrasted that history with the Korean War, in which forces of the newly established People's Republic of China fought US-led United Nations forces after Chinese troops entered the conflict in 1950. He said the historical record should be viewed in its proper context when discussing current US-China relations and Taiwan.
Yui also rejected the suggestion that Taiwan and US allies such as Japan were responsible for creating tensions in the region. He said Taiwan wanted peace and stability and argued that Beijing was responsible for creating much of the current tension.
The CBS interview came days after Trump and Xi met at the White House. Trump said afterward that Taiwan had been discussed but that the two leaders did not spend much time talking about it. Yui's comments followed similar statements from Taiwan officials that they had received assurances that US policy toward Taiwan had not changed after the summit.
