Taiwan Rejects Xi's Remarks to Trump as Distortion of Facts

Taiwan's government on Friday denounced Chinese President Xi Jinping's comments to US President Donald Trump as a "distortion of the facts," asserting that only the Taiwanese people can decide their future. The statement follows Xi's remarks in Washington on Thursday about China's position on "reunification" and territorial integrity. Taiwan's foreign ministry said Xi's comments represent China's consistent approach of distorting facts and unilaterally conveying its position, adding that Taiwan's sovereignty belongs to its people and the Chinese Communist Party has no right to represent them. The US remains Taiwan's most important international backer and arms supplier despite lacking formal diplomatic ties. The ministry also called China the "true disruptor" of regional peace and stability, citing military threats around the island and in the East and South China Seas. Taiwan pledged to continue working with the US and like-minded partners to safeguard stability in the Taiwan Strait.