Chinese President Xi Jinping allegedly told European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen that Washington was trying to trick Beijing into attacking Taiwan, according to a report by the Financial Times, which cited several sources, and noted that retired Chinese military officers and academics had also claimed Washington was trying to lure Beijing into a military conflict by providing weapons to Taiwan and other moves.
“Xi issued the warning in a meeting with von der Leyen in April 2023 .. He said the US was trying to trick China into invading Taiwan, but that he would not take the bait,” the report said, noting that it gave an insight into the Chinese leader’s thinking, at a time when Taiwan has a new leader and tensions between Taipei and Beijing are high.
The report led to questions being put yesterday to the US State Department – which rejected the claim, according to the UK Independent, with spokesperson Matthew Miller telling reporters the claim was “not accurate”.
“We have made clear, including directly to senior members of the Chinese government, that our One China policy has not changed. It will not change and we continue to urge common stability across the Taiwan Strait,” Miller said at a press conference.
Read the full report: The FT.
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