Taipei [Taiwan], June 7 (ANI): Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) on Thursday criticised Chinese state media for deliberately misrepresenting Taiwan's sovereign status, following reports that former US President Donald Trump reaffirmed the 'one China' policy during a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

China's official Xinhua News Agency reported that Xi urged Trump during the call to handle the Taiwan issue with caution and warned against letting 'Taiwanese separatists' provoke confrontation between the US and China. The report claimed Trump expressed support for maintaining the 'one China' policy.

However, Trump's public statements following the call focused primarily on trade. Writing on social media, he described the conversation as 'very positive' and said a new round of lower-level trade talks would be held soon. He made no mention of Taiwan in his statement, instead highlighting progress on issues related to rare earth minerals.

In response, MOFA said in a statement published by the Taipei Times that China was using 'a recurring tactic' of distorting Taiwan's status to manipulate international perceptions and falsely claim consensus on the 'one China' narrative. The ministry emphasised that Taiwan remains committed to preserving peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and would continue working with allies, including the United States, to defend democratic values and regional prosperity.

Taiwan also reaffirmed its intention to deepen cooperation with the US on security and trade, while remaining vigilant toward regional developments that could affect national interests.

Presidential Office spokesperson Karen Kuo welcomed dialogue between the US and China but warned against using such talks as cover for undermining Taiwan's sovereignty. 'Taiwan will maintain close communication with Washington and work together to promote peace in the region,' she said.

The Trump-Xi call occurred amid rising trade tensions, particularly over rare earth supplies, though both sides have yet to confirm whether any substantial progress was made. (ANI)