ISTANBUL
US President Donald Trump said Chinese officials have assured him Beijing would not move on Taiwan during his presidency because "they know the consequences."
"He (Chinese President Xi Jinping) has openly said, and his people have openly said at meetings, we would never do anything while President Trump is president, because they know the consequences," Trump told CBS in an interview aired on Sunday.
Asked whether he would order US forces to defend Taiwan if China attacks, Trump declined to commit publicly: "You'll find out if it happens. And he understands the answer to that."
Trump said Taiwan never came up during his Thursday meeting with Xi in South Korea as part of his Asia tour, noting that people were "a little surprised" by the omission.
"He never brought it up, because he understands it, and he understands it very well," Trump said.
When pressed to explain what Xi understands, Trump refused to elaborate. "The other side knows, but I'm not somebody that tells you everything."
Taiwan remains a central flashpoint in US-China relations. Beijing views Taiwan as a breakaway province, while Taipei has insisted on independence since 1949.
The US supports Taiwan's defense under the Taiwan Relations Act and the Six Assurances governing policy toward the island.