"It wouldn't be a US-China summit without the Taiwan issue coming up," Bessent, who is with Trump in China, told US business news network CNBC, adding: "I'm sure we'll be hearing more from him in the coming days."

"President Trump understands the issues here and understands the sensitivities around all this. Anyone who has been saying otherwise does not understand the negotiating style of Donald Trump," Bessent said.

The self-ruled island, which China views as part of its territory, is set to be a key issue for talks in Beijing between Trump and President Xi Jinping.

Xi warned Trump that missteps on Taiwan could push their two countries into "conflict", a stark opening salvo as they met in Beijing on Thursday at a superpower summit.