Trump-Xi meeting could put Taiwan arms sales in focus: Report

Chinese leader Xi Jinping is expected to bring forth the key issue of Taiwan arms sales with President Trump in a high-stakes meeting on Thursday in Washington.

According to the sources privy to the matter and reported by Reuters, the discussions would be based on pressing President Trump to halt Taiwan arms sales under a 1982 joint statement which he could do at the US National Archives, as per sources.

When it comes to Taiwan, Beijing sees it as its own territory while considering it the most sensitive and diplomatic issue; however Taipei rejected such sovereignty claims. Although the US has not yet established formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, Washington is bound “by law to provide Taiwan with the means and resources to defend itself.”

Ahead of President Xi Jinping's summit with President Trump this week, sources say China is expected to press its interpretation of the 1982 US-China joint communique.

Under this third agreement, the US pledged to gradually reduce arms sales to Taiwan and ultimately phase out weapons shipments to Taipei.

However, in an accompanying memo, then-US President Ronald Reagan said US willingness to reduce arms sales is "conditioned absolutely upon the continued ⁠commitment of China to the peaceful solution of differences with Taiwan.”

one of the sources added, Xi could "emphasize to Trump that Taiwan is the provocateur and the sole source of instability in US-China relations, and that ‌Taiwan is ⁠the one changing the status quo.”

In return, China is offering help to pressurize Iran ending the conflict in the Middle East, the sources said.

Speaking about the US-Taiwan relations, Trump in his first term approved more arms sales to Taiwan followed by the approval in huge amounts than all four years under President Joe Biden, as per the US official. Trump is yet to approve new $14 billion arms deal for Taiwan after $11 billion in December. 

After holding summit in Beijing with Xi in May, Trump said he was holding the deal in abeyance and described it as a "very good ​negotiating chip".

According to the 1982 agreement called “Six Assurances” for Taiwan, the US has not yet stipulated any specific date for suspending and ending arms sales to Taiwan. Moreover the declassification of the agreement in 2020 showed that the US is also not obliged to hold prior consultation with China on such sales.