Taiwan declared itself a sovereign and independent state after US President Donald Trump warned the island not to formally declare independence from China.
Trump's statements came after a two-day summit in Beijing with Chinese President Xi Jinping, where the White House chief said he had made "no commitments" regarding Taiwan.
After meetings with Xi, Trump also stated that he would soon decide whether to approve an $11 billion arms package for Taiwan.
The US administration is legally obliged to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself, yet Washington tries to maintain a balance between support for the island and diplomatic relations with Beijing.
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te has previously stated that Taiwan does not need to officially declare independence, as it already considers itself a sovereign state.
On Saturday, presidential spokeswoman Karen Kuo said it is "self-evident" that Taiwan is "a democratic, sovereign and independent country."
However, she stressed that Taiwan remains committed to maintaining the status quo with China, neither declaring formal independence nor accepting unification with Beijing.
Many Taiwanese citizens consider themselves part of a separate nation, although most support maintaining the current situation.
The official US position remains that Washington does not support the formal independence of Taiwan, while relations with Beijing are based on the acceptance of the existence of "one China".
In an interview with Fox News after meetings with Xi Jinping, Trump said that US policy towards Taiwan has not changed and that he does not seek conflict with China.
"I'm not asking anyone to declare independence," said Trump.
"We have to travel 9,500 miles to fight a war. I'm not asking for that. I want the situation to calm down. I want China to calm down."", He added.
Trump also stated that Xi Jinping feels "very strongly" about the Taiwan issue and does not want to see any independence movement on the island.
Beijing considers Taiwan part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to take control of it.
