US President Donald Trump has warned Taiwan not to formally declare independence from China, the BBC reported.
"I don't want anyone to become independent", the US president said at the end of his two-day summit with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Beijing.
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te has previously said that Taiwan does not need to declare formal independence because it is already seen as a sovereign nation.
Trump reiterated that US policy on the issue has not changed. "You know, we have to travel 9,500 miles (15,289 km) to fight a war. I'm not looking for that. I want them to cool down. I want China to cool down," the president said.
During the flight back to Washington, he said he and Xi had talked "a lot" about the island, but said he had declined to discuss whether the United States would defend it.
The United States has long supported Taiwan, but has often had to balance that alliance with maintaining diplomatic relations with China.
Trump has previously said he has "made no commitment in any way" to the self-governing island, which China sees as part of its territory, and has not ruled out the possibility of seizing it by force. Washington's established position is that it does not support Taiwan's independence, with continued ties with Beijing contingent on its acceptance that there is only one Chinese government.
Beijing has openly expressed its dislike for Taiwan's president, whom it has previously described as a "destroyer of cross-strait peace." Many Taiwanese consider themselves part of a separate nation - although most are in favor of maintaining the status quo, in which Taiwan neither declares independence from China nor unites with it.
Xi "has very strong feelings" about the island and "does not want to see an independence movement," Trump stressed.
During the talks between the two presidents, Xi warned that the Taiwan issue was the most important issue in relations between China and the United States. "If it is not handled properly, the two countries could clash or even enter into conflict," the Chinese president said.
When asked if he foresees a conflict with China over Taiwan, Trump replied: "No, I don't think so. I think we will be fine. (Xi) does not want to see a war."
"We do not want wars, and if things remain as they are, I think China will agree to that. But we don't want anyone to say, "Let's become independent because the United States supports us," Donald Trump added.
Taiwan's Vice Foreign Minister Chen Ming-chi said in response to Trump's remarks that Taiwan would have to clarify the exact meaning of the US president's remarks.
He pointed out that US arms sales to Taiwan are something that is confirmed by US law. "Arms sales between Taiwan and the United States have always been a cornerstone of regional peace and stability," he added.
Taiwan's Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lun said his team had been monitoring the US-China summit and had maintained good communication with the US and other countries "to ensure the steady deepening of Taiwan-US relations and safeguard Taiwan's interests."
He said Taiwan had always been a "guardian of peace and stability" in the region and accused China of escalating the risk with its "aggressive military actions and authoritarian oppression."