TAIPEI (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he expects to reach a fair trade deal with Chinese President Xi Jinping and downplayed risks of a clash over the issue of Taiwan.

Asked by a reporter whether the U.S. might adjust its position on Taiwan independence in order to reach a trade deal with China, Trump said: “We’re going to be talking about a lot of things. I assume that will be one of them, but I’m not going to talk about it now.”

Below are some questions and answers about what is meant by the term “Taiwan independence”.

WHAT IS TAIWAN’S HISTORY AND FORMAL NAME TODAY?

Previously known as Formosa, the island has been home to indigenous people for thousands of years, before the Dutch and Spanish briefly ruled parts of it in the 1600s.

The Qing dynasty incorporated

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