“President Xi and I talked a lot about Taiwan,” Trump told reporters onboard Air Force One, on his way back to Washington following a high-stakes summit in Beijing.

“He does not want to see a fight for independence,” he added. “I didn’t make a comment on it, I heard him out.”

Trump added: “On Taiwan he feels very strongly, I made no committment either way.”

Ahead of the summit, Trump had said he would speak to Xi about US arms sales to Taiwan, a departure from Washington’s previous insistence that it will not consult Beijing on the matter.

Speaking to reporters on Friday en route to Washington, Trump said on the issue of arms sales: “I’ll make a determination over the next fairly short period of time.”

The United States recognizes only Beijing, but under US law is required to provide weapons to the self-ruled democracy for its defense.

China has sworn to take the island and has not ruled out using force, ramping up military pressure in recent years.