President Trump said Chinese President Xi did not even “bring up” the issue of Taiwan during their meeting last week, and both leaders understand what the “consequences” would be if China attacked the island while he is in the White House. The full interview will air Sunday night on “60 Minutes.” CBS’s “Face The Nation” played this one-minute preview clip on Sunday morning. CBS’s Norah O’Donnell asked: “One potential flashpoint with China, probably the potential flash point with China in the coming years, is over the issue of Taiwan. The Chinese military is encroaching on Taiwan’s sea lanes, airspace, and cyberspace. I know you have said that Xi Jinping wouldn’t dare move militarily on Taiwan while you’re in office. But, what if he does? Would you order U.S. forces to defend Taiwan?” “You’ll find out if it happens,” Trump said. “And he understands the answer to that. This never even came up yesterday as a subject. He never brought it up. People were a little surprised that he never brought it up because he understands it. And he understands it very well.” “Do you mind if I ask, when you say he understands, why not communicate that publicly to the rest of us? What does he understand? What does he understand?” O’Donnell asked. “I can’t give away my secrets,” the president joked. “I don’t want to be one of these guys that tells you exactly what’s going to happen if something happens. The other side knows, but I’m not somebody that tells everything because you’re asking me a question.” “They understand what’s gonna happen. And he 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 said.
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