Trump says Xi told him China will not invade Taiwan while he is US president

By Jasper Ward

WASHINGTON, Aug 15 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that Chinese President Xi Jinping told him China would not invade Taiwan while Trump is in office.

Trump made the comments in an interview with Fox News, ahead of talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

"I will tell you, you know, you have a very similar thing with President Xi of China and Taiwan, but I don't believe there's any way it's going to happen as long as I'm here. We'll see," Trump said during an interview on Fox News' "Special Report."

"He told me, 'I will never do it as long as you're president.' President Xi told me that, and I said, 'Well, I appreciate that,' but he also said, 'But I am very patient, and China is very patient.'," Trump said.

Trump and Xi held their first confirmed call of Trump's second presidential term in June. Trump also said in April that Xi had called him but did not specify when that call took place.

China views Taiwan as its own territory and has vowed to "reunify" with the democratic and separately governed island, by force if necessary. Taiwan strongly objects to China's sovereignty claims.

The Chinese Embassy in Washington on Friday described the topic of Taiwan as "the most important and sensitive issue" in China-U.S. relations.

"The U.S. government should adhere to the one-China principle and the three U.S.-China joint communiqués, handle Taiwan-related issues prudently, and earnestly safeguard China-U.S. relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait," embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu said in a statement.

Although Washington is Taiwan's main arms supplier and international backer, the U.S. - like most countries - has no formal diplomatic ties with the island.

While Taiwan's government has yet to respond to Trump's remarks, on Saturday a senior lawmaker from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party said that Taiwan was grateful for support from "our major ally".

"However ... Security cannot rely on the enemy's promise, nor can it rely solely on the help from friends. Strengthening our own defence capability is fundamental!" Wang Ting-yu, who sits on the Taiwan parliament's defence and foreign affairs committee, wrote on his Facebook page.