Taiwan denounces Xi's comments to Trump as 'distortion of facts'

Taiwan's government ​on Friday denounced Chinese President Xi ​Jinping's comments on the island's ‌future to ​US President Donald Trump as a "distortion of the facts", saying only the Taiwanese people can decide their future.

China ‌claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, a position President Lai Ching-te and his administration reject. Xi told Trump in Washington on Thursday that China's position on safeguarding ‌national "reunification" and territorial integrity is clear, and he hoped the US would adhere to ‌the "correct position" of opposing Taiwan independence.

Xi's remarks represent "the consistent Chinese approach of distorting facts and unilaterally conveying its position and claims", Taiwan's foreign ministry said in a statement. "Taiwan's sovereignty belongs to ⁠all ​the people of ⁠Taiwan. The Chinese Communist Party has no right to represent the Taiwanese people, and Taiwan's future can ⁠only be determined by the Taiwanese people through democratic means," it added.

The US is ​Taiwan's most important international backer and arms supplier despite the lack of ⁠formal diplomatic ties. After meeting Xi in Beijing, Trump said in May that he was pausing a ⁠planned ​new arms sale to Taiwan, describing it as a good bargaining chip."

Taiwan's foreign ministry said China was the "true disruptor" of regional peace and stability, pointing ⁠to its military threats around the island and in the East and South China ⁠Seas. Taiwan will continue ⁠to work closely with the United States and other like-minded partners to jointly safeguard peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, ‌it ‌added.