US President Donald Trump addressed a series of issues raised during, and left out of, his talks with Xi Jinping, as he spoke to reporters aboard Air Force One on his return from a two-day visit to Beijing.
Trump discussed Iran’s nuclear programme, did not rule out further US military action, referred to Taiwan and addressed the issue of tariffs.
The US president said he would accept a 20-year suspension of Iran’s nuclear programme, provided Tehran’s commitment was “real”, while leaving open the possibility of further American military operations in the country.
“I would be OK with that, as long as the commitment is real,” Trump was quoted as saying. He added that the US might have to return to Iran to carry out “a little cleanup work”, without giving further details.
“We have essentially wiped out their armed forces. We may have to do a little cleanup work, because we had about a one-month ceasefire, that’s what I would call it,” he said.
Trump also claimed the United States had agreed to the ceasefire largely because of pressure from other countries, particularly Pakistan. “I wasn’t really in favour of it, but we did it as a favour to Pakistan,” he said.
The US president also dismissed reports that Iran still retained a large number of its missile launchers, calling them “fake news”.
“We were hitting them like pinatas,” he told reporters.
“The missile launchers are largely gone,” he added, saying the US could quickly destroy any remaining launchers in the event of a new intervention in Iran.
No Commitment on Taiwan
Trump said he gave “no commitment either way” on Taiwan during his meeting with the Chinese president, after Beijing warned that mishandling the issue could lead to conflict between the two countries.
U.S. President Trump says Xi opposes Taiwan independence during Air Force One remarks https://t.co/QjhVui5vT7
— The Hindu (@the_hindu) May 15, 2026
“Taiwan is something he feels very strongly about. I gave no commitment either way,” Trump said.
Asked whether Xi had suggested there was a risk of conflict with the US over Taiwan, Trump played down the possibility.
“I don’t think there’s conflict, other than the fact that we don’t need their strength, we don’t need Taiwan,” he said. “We discussed Taiwan, the whole issue of arms sales, in great detail, actually, and I will make decisions. But, you know, the last thing we need right now is a war 9,500 miles away.”
Trump also left open the question of future US arms sales to Taiwan. “I will make a decision,” he said when asked about the matter.
The US president also said he and Xi did not discuss tariffs during their two days of talks.
“We did not discuss tariffs,” he said. “They pay tariffs. They pay substantial tariffs, but we did not discuss it. It did not even come up.”
US and Chinese trade envoys had met earlier in South Korea, where, according to China’s state news agency Xinhua, they held positive talks just hours before Trump arrived in Beijing. After the previous meeting between the two leaders in South Korea in October, Trump had reduced the overall level of tariffs on Chinese goods to 47%.
Possible Sanctions Relief for Chinese Firms Buying Iranian Oil
Trump also said he was considering lifting sanctions on Chinese companies that buy oil from Iran, as the war and turmoil in energy markets continue.
“I will make a decision in the next few days. We discussed it,” he told reporters on his return from the state visit to China.
Asked whether Xi had committed to pressuring Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Trump replied: “I don’t ask for favours, because when you ask for favours, you have to return favours.”
He added that he believed Xi wanted the strait to remain open, noting that China receives a significant share of its oil from the Gulf.
Trump also claimed that the US “gets nothing” from the region and “does not need it”.
Source: protothema.gr
