China knows 'consequences' of any attack on Taiwan: Trump

Washington, Nov. 2 (CNA) U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday that China would not take military action against Taiwan while he is president, as the Chinese leaders "know the consequences."

Trump made the statement during an interview on the CBS program 60 Minutes that aired Sunday, a few days after his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in South Korea.

"He [Xi] has openly said, and his people have openly said at meetings, 'we would never do anything while President Trump is president,' because they know the consequences," Trump said on CBS.

He repeatedly declined, however, to say exactly how Washington would respond in the event that China takes military action against Taiwan.

"I don't want to give away-- I can't give away my secrets," Trump said. "I don't want to be one of these guys that tells you exactly what's gonna happen if something happens."

According to the U.S. president, the subject of Taiwan was not discussed during his meeting with Xi at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea last Thursday.

"People were a little surprised at that," Trump said in the 60 Minutes interview. "He [Xi] never brought it up, because he understands it, and he understands it very well. Taiwan is a very interesting case. It's 69 miles away from China. We're 9,500 miles away. But that doesn't matter. He understands what will happen."