Former U.S. President Donald Trump said he will raise the issue of U.S. arms sales to Taiwan during an upcoming summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The meeting comes at a time of heightened tension over the island's security. China has repeatedly asked Washington to halt the sale of weapons to Taiwan, while the island democracy seeks stable security guarantees from the U.S. to deter potential aggression.
The bilateral talks are slated for May 14-15, 2026 [1], in Beijing [2]. Trump said that the specific topic of military procurement is a priority for the agenda.
"We will discuss arms sales to Taiwan with President Xi during our meeting," Trump said in an interview with Al Jazeera English [3]. He said that China wants Washington to stop selling weapons to Taiwan and that the two leaders need to address that directly [4].
These discussions occur as Taiwan significantly increases its military capabilities. A spokesperson for the Taiwan Ministry of National Defense said the government has approved approximately $25 billion [5] in additional defense spending specifically for U.S. weapons. The spokesperson said that Taiwan hopes there will be no surprises in the talks [6].
China claims Taiwan as its own territory and views U.S. military support as a violation of its sovereignty. The outcome of the May 14-15 summit [1] could signal a shift in how the U.S. manages its strategic relationship with both Beijing and Taipei.
“"We will discuss arms sales to Taiwan with President Xi during our meeting."”
The summit represents a critical juncture in U.S.-China relations, where the U.S. must balance its strategic partnership with Taiwan against the desire for diplomatic stability with Beijing. By explicitly naming arms sales as a talking point, Trump is signaling that Taiwan's defense is a negotiable or primary point of friction, which may create anxiety for Taipei regarding the consistency of U.S. security commitments.
