Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to press US President Donald Trump to halt weapons sales to Taiwan during a high-stakes summit in Washington this week according to REUTERS sources familiar with the discussions.
Beijing views self-ruled Taiwan as its sovereign territory and considers the issue its most sensitive diplomatic red line. During the talks, Xi is likely to cite the 1982 US-China joint communique in which Washington indicated an intent to gradually reduce arms sales to Taipei. However US has historically maintained that this reduction remains strictly conditioned on Beijing resolving cross-strait differences peacefully. By law, Washington remains obligated to provide Taiwan with defensive arms.
Sources indicate that Beijing is also seeking an immediate halt to arms deliveries already purchased by Taiwan. In exchange China has offered to use its diplomatic leverage to help pressure Iran over the conflict in the Middle East.
The summit comes as a massive $14 billion US weapons package for Taiwan remains on hold. President Trump approved a record $11 billion arms package in December previously characterized the pending deal as a key negotiating chip. Meanwhile the senior US lawmakers have urged the administration to hold a firm line also warning that Chinese objections should be rejected and that US commitments to Taiwan's defense must remain steadfast.
Xi arrives in Washington on Wednesday with bilateral talks scheduled for Thursday also marking a critical test for relations between the world’s two largest superpowers.
