US President Trump to Discuss Arms Sales with Chinese Leader Xi Jinping

US President Donald Trump Plans to Discuss Taiwan Arms Sales with Chinese President Xi Jinping

Washington, D.C. - US President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that he will discuss the issue of US arms sales to Taiwan during his upcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping later this week. The topic has been a point of contention between Washington and Beijing for some time.

Trump stated that he intends to have a conversation with Xi about the matter, which is also one of the topics on the agenda for their talks scheduled for Thursday and Friday in Beijing. This will be Trump’s first visit to China in nine years.

The US has provided significant defense support to Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its own territory. The self-governed island has rejected Chinese military threats and insists that its people should have the right to decide their future. The US is Taiwan’s primary backer and has supplied the island with arms capable of countering a potential Chinese assault.

In December, Trump announced a $11 billion arms package for Taiwan, which was the largest such deal in history. China responded by launching military drills simulating a blockade of Taiwanese ports, which some see as a warning against outside forces supporting Taiwan.

The US has taken no official stance on Taiwanese sovereignty and has called on both Taipei and Beijing to resolve their differences peacefully. Trump expressed confidence that tensions between the US and China over Taiwan will not escalate, stating that he has a good relationship with Xi and does not want any conflict to occur.

Source: Al Jazeera