DID Press: China has warned the United States that a planned meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump could be canceled if Washington approves new arms sales to Taiwan, according to sources familiar with bilateral relations cited by Kyodo News.
Xi is scheduled to meet Trump at the White House on Sept. 24. If held, it would be the third face-to-face meeting between the two leaders in the past year. Trump has announced the planned visit, while the Chinese government has not yet officially confirmed it.
According to the sources, Beijing has again stressed that the Taiwan issue is a “red line” in China-U.S. relations. China considers Taiwan part of its territory.
The Trump administration announced an arms sales package worth about $11 billion to Taiwan in December last year, prompting a strong reaction from Beijing. The United States also halted a separate $14 billion arms sale to Taiwan in May to ensure sufficient weapons stocks for a war with Iran, according to the report.
The sources said the Chinese government has warned that if a new arms sale to Taiwan is approved, Beijing could cancel the leaders’ planned meeting this month. Such a cancellation could represent a significant political and diplomatic setback for Trump, particularly ahead of the November midterm elections.
Xi previously described Taiwan as the “most important issue” in China-U.S. relations and warned that mishandling the issue could increase the risk of conflict between the two countries. Reuters reported that Xi delivered a similar warning to Trump during their May meeting, saying mishandling Taiwan could push bilateral relations into a dangerous situation.
However, the sources said both sides continue to seek ways to avoid decisions that could jeopardize the fragile trade truce between Washington and Beijing.
The Chinese government has not yet officially confirmed Xi’s planned visit to the United States.