U.S. President Donald Trump said Chinese leader Xi Jinping assured him that Beijing would not invade Taiwan while Trump remains in office. “He told me, ‘I will never do it as long as you’re president … but I am very patient, and China is very patient,’” Trump said in a pre-taped Fox News interview broadcast on Friday ahead of his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Asked for comment, the Chinese Embassy in Washington called Taiwan “the most important and sensitive issue” in U.S.–China relations and urged Washington to adhere to the one-China principle and the three bilateral communiqués to safeguard “peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.” Taiwan’s government had not formally responded by Saturday, but ruling Democratic Progressive Party lawmaker Wang Ting-yu wrote that the island welcomed support from “our major ally” while emphasizing that its security ultimately depends on strengthening its own defenses. China claims the self-ruled island as its territory and has not ruled out using force to achieve unification. The United States is Taiwan’s main arms supplier and unofficial partner, despite lacking formal diplomatic ties.