US President Donald Trump said Friday that Chinese President Xi Jinping assured him China would not invade Taiwan while he is in office. Trump made the remarks in a Fox News interview ahead of talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the Ukraine conflict. He quoted Xi as saying, “I will never do it as long as you’re president,” and added that China and its leader are “very patient”, Reuters reported.

China considers Taiwan part of its territory and has pledged to reunify the island by force if necessary, a claim strongly rejected by Taiwan. The Chinese Embassy in Washington called Taiwan the “most important and sensitive issue” in China-US relations and urged US to adhere to the one-China principle.