In an unusual move, Xi Jinping, the leader of China, called President Trump. The two spoke about trade, Taiwan and Ukraine, according to separate official statements.

China has offered Taiwan a "one country, two systems" model, which enjoys no support from any mainstream Taiwanese political party and has been rejected by President Lai Ching-te.

By Ben Blanchard TAIPEI (Reuters) -Taiwan Premier Cho Jung-tai said on Tuesday that a "return" to China is not an option for the island's 23 million people, after Chinese President Xi Jinping pressed his country's sovereignty claims in a call with U.

US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday held their first talks since agreeing to a tariff truce last month, discussing trade, Taiwan and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

That role also means a war over Taiwan could be "cataclysmic," the report warned, potentially "wiping out as much as 10 percent of global GDP"—an unprecedented economic hit in modern times. The authors said the ramifications of such a scenario could be "on par with the 2008 Global Financial Crisis."

As China reportedly mulls a ban on Japanese seafood amid a standoff between the Asian neighbors, Taiwan's leader shows support for Tokyo, with his lunch.

Current law requires elected officials to prove they renounced their former citizenship – which is impossible for those born on the mainland.

Chinese President Xi Jinping told U.S. President Donald Trump during a phone call on Monday that Taiwan's "return to China" is a key part of the post-war international order, state news agency Xinhua reported.