The White House has announced that the 'Xi-Trump Summit' will take place this Thursday. On Monday, U.S. President Trump stated that he will discuss the issue of future U.S. arms sales to Taiwan with Chinese President Xi Jinping, and also remarked that he does not believe Beijing will seize Taiwan by force.
When asked by reporters at the White House whether the U.S. should continue selling weapons to Taiwan, Trump did not give a direct answer, but said: "I will discuss the issue with President Xi."
Trump told reporters: "President Xi hopes that we do not do this. I will talk about this issue. It is one of the many topics I plan to discuss."
According to a CBS News report, Trump has already indicated that he plans to discuss a $14 billion (about 55 billion ringgit) arms deal with Xi. The report states that this is a concession no other president has made and violates the 'Six Assurances' then-U.S. President Reagan made to Taiwan in 1982. One of these assurances is "not to consult the People's Republic of China regarding U.S. arms sales to Taiwan."
Trump also seemed to downplay the likelihood of China attempting to take over Taiwan, saying: "I don’t think that will happen. I think we’ll be fine. I have a good relationship with President Xi, and he knows I don’t want to see that happen."
However, Trump pointed out that the U.S. is "very far" from Taiwan, and when referring to Xi Jinping he added, "he's only 67 miles from Taiwan."
He also mentioned: "But, you know, Japan and other countries in the region give a lot of support to Taiwan."
Trump is scheduled to arrive in Beijing on May 13, which will be his first visit to China since 2017, with bilateral meetings set for the 14th and 15th.
According to previews from U.S. officials to the media, the agenda is expected to cover Iran, Taiwan, artificial intelligence (AI), nuclear weapons, and rare earths.
The New York Times summarized China's main focus as the '3Ts': Taiwan, Technology, and Tariffs; while the U.S. focus on economic and trade issues is subdivided as the “5Bs”: Chinese purchases of Boeing aircraft, American Beef and Soybeans, as well as the establishment of a Board of Investment and a Board of Trade.