Taiwan's foreign ministry pushed back after Beijing said Xi Jinping pressed Trump to oppose Taiwan independence, a reminder that Taiwan's status stays a live flashpoint in US-China relations.

• China's readout of the White House meeting said Xi asked Washington to keep opposing Taiwan independence and handle the issue carefully.
• Taipei called that a one-sided distortion, saying Taiwan's sovereignty belongs to its own people and Beijing has no right to speak for them.
• Taiwan pointed to China's continued military pressure and gray-zone harassment around the island and in the East and South China Seas as the real threat to regional stability.
• Foreign ministers from the US, Japan, South Korea and eight other countries recently backed peace in the Taiwan Strait, and more than 60 US lawmakers from both parties voiced support for Taiwan.

Outlook: Taipei will keep working with Washington and like-minded partners, while Beijing keeps testing how far the US will go in defining its Taiwan stance.