{"id":12864,"date":"2026-05-15T15:11:38","date_gmt":"2026-05-15T15:11:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/2026\/05\/15\/trump-weighs-taiwan-arms-package-after-summit-aimed-at-steadying-us-china-ties-wabi\/"},"modified":"2026-05-15T15:11:38","modified_gmt":"2026-05-15T15:11:38","slug":"trump-weighs-taiwan-arms-package-after-summit-aimed-at-steadying-us-china-ties-wabi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/2026\/05\/15\/trump-weighs-taiwan-arms-package-after-summit-aimed-at-steadying-us-china-ties-wabi\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump weighs Taiwan arms package after summit aimed at steadying US-China ties – WABI"},"content":{"rendered":"
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BEIJING (AP) \u2014 U.S. President Donald Trump<\/a> said Friday that he has not made a decision on whether to move forward with a major arms package for Taiwan after hearing concerns about it from Chinese President Xi Jinping<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Trump\u2019s comments on Taiwan \u2014 a self-ruled island that China claims as its own territory \u2014 came as he flew back to Washington after wrapping up critical talks<\/a> in which both leaders said important progress was made in stabilizing U.S.-China relations even as deep differences persist between the world\u2019s two biggest powers on Iran<\/a> and Taiwan<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI will make a determination,\u201d Trump said. He added: \u201cI\u2019ll be making decisions. But, you know, I think the last thing we need right now is a war that\u2019s 9,500 miles away.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trump\u2019s Republican administration in December authorized a record-setting $11 billion weapons package for Taipei, but it has yet to move forward. Lawmakers also approved a $14 billion arms sale to Taiwan in January, but the sale cannot advance until Trump formally sends it to Congress. China opposes such sales and has suggested that Washington\u2019s relationship with the self-governing island<\/a> is the key factor in U.S.-China relations.<\/p>\n

Trump said Xi also reiterated China\u2019s strong opposition to Taiwan\u2019s independence. \u201cI heard him out,\u201d Trump said. \u201cI didn\u2019t make a comment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trump\u2019s consultation with Xi about arms sales to Taiwan may violate the so-called Six Assurances, a set of nonbinding U.S. policy principles formulated in 1982 under President Ronald Reagan that have helped guide the U.S. relationship with Taipei, according to analysts.<\/p>\n

The second of the Six Assurances states that the U.S. \u201cdid not agree to consult with the People\u2019s Republic of China on arms sales to Taiwan.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trump said the issue of the 1982 assurances came up in the talks with Xi.<\/p>\n

Trump says Xi is \u2018very positive\u2019 about a potential nuclear deal<\/h4>\n

Trump also said he raised a potential three-way nuclear deal that would involve the U.S., Russia and China. He wants each of the three countries to sign a pact that would cap the number of nuclear warheads in their arsenals. China has previously been cool to entering such a pact.<\/p>\n

Beijing\u2019s arsenal, according to Pentagon estimates, exceeds 600 warheads and is far from parity with the U.S. and Russia, which are each estimated to have more than 5,000 warheads. But Trump suggested Xi was receptive to the idea.<\/p>\n

\u201cI got a very a positive response,\u201d Trump said. \u201cThis is the beginning.\u201d<\/p>\n

The last nuclear arms pact<\/a>, known as the New START treaty, between Russia and the United States expired in February, removing any caps on the two largest atomic arsenals for the first time in more than a half-century. As the treaty was set to expire, Trump rejected a call by Russia to extend the two-country deal for another year and called for \u201ca new, improved and modernized\u201d deal that includes China<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Pentagon estimates China will have more than 1,000 nuclear warheads by 2030.<\/p>\n

Trump was impressed by Chinese presidential residence<\/h4>\n

Xi welcomed Trump at his official residence, Zhongnanhai, on Friday for their final engagement of the summit before the U.S. leader\u2019s return to Washington. The leaders took a short walk through the grounds that feature ancient trees and Chinese roses, and they strolled through a covered passageway with green columns and archways painted with birds and traditional Chinese mountain scenes.<\/p>\n

Over tea and lunch, Trump and Xi \u2014 with top aides and translators in tow \u2014 huddled for nearly three hours of talks before the U.S. leader completed his three-day visit to China.<\/p>\n

Trump appeared impressed by the bucolic grounds, remarking that the roses were the most beautiful he had ever seen. Xi promised to send him some rose seeds.<\/p>\n

The compound is wrapped around two artificial lakes built for the pleasure of emperors. Zhongnanhai is often compared to the White House, the Kremlin or South Korea\u2019s Blue House. But unlike the other presidential residences, Zhongnanhai does not serve as the main venue for diplomatic visits. The invitation appeared to be an attempt by Xi to extend a personal touch to a U.S. leader who appreciates big gestures.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been really a great couple of days,\u201d Trump told reporters.<\/p>\n

Xi, for his part, called it a \u201cmilestone\u201d visit. \u201cWe have established a new bilateral relationship, or rather a constructive, strategic, stable relationship,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

But the optimistic outlook collides with some difficult truths about the thorniest issues between the two superpowers.<\/p>\n

Beijing has shown little public interest in U.S. entreaties to get more involved in solving the conflict in Iran<\/a>, even though Trump said in an interview with Fox News\u2019 Sean Hannity that Xi had in their conversations offered to help.<\/p>\n

In recent weeks, the U.S. State Department has accused Chinese firms of providing satellite imagery to the Iranian government, and the Treasury Department has moved to target Chinese oil refineries accused of buying oil from Tehran, as well as shippers of the oil.<\/p>\n

Xi on Thursday warned Trump during private talks that their differences on Taiwan, if handled poorly, could hurtle the world\u2019s dominant powers<\/a> toward \u201cclashes and even conflicts,\u201d according to Chinese government officials.<\/p>\n

But Trump, as he made his way home, said he was not concerned that the U.S.-China relationship was in danger. \u201cI think we will be fine,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Taiwan remains the most important issue for China<\/h4>\n

Xi\u2019s sharp language on Taiwan loomed large over the visit, with Chinese government officials amplifying his view that differences on the island pose the biggest risk to U.S.-Chinese relations.<\/p>\n

But Secretary of State Marco Rubio<\/a> told NBC News that U.S. policy toward Taiwan was \u201cunchanged\u201d and cautioned that it would be \u201ca terrible mistake\u201d for China to try to take Taiwan by force. He also framed Xi\u2019s comments as standard practice.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey always raise it on their side. We always make clear our position, and we move on to the other topics,\u201d said Rubio, who was among senior aides to join Trump for the talks.<\/p>\n

China in recent weeks has sought to put more focus on its view that Taiwan sits at the \u201ccore\u201d of its interests and is key to ensuring a stable relationship with the U.S. Trump at moments has shown ambivalence toward Taiwan, raising speculation that he could be open to loosening ties with Taipei.<\/p>\n

China wants the Strait of Hormuz opened<\/h4>\n

Trump said he and Xi also spoke at length about Iran.<\/p>\n

The leaders agreed that the critical Strait of Hormuz<\/a> \u2014 effectively closed since the start of the Iran conflict \u2014 needs to be reopened to support global energy demands About 20% of the world\u2019s oil flowed through the strait before the war started on Feb. 28.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe feel very similar about (how) we want it to end,\u201d the president said with Xi at this side. \u201cWe don\u2019t want them to have a nuclear weapon.\u201d<\/p>\n

White House officials said Xi was also opposed to any implementation of tolls on vessels crossing the strait and expressed interest in China potentially purchasing U.S. oil to reduce Chinese dependence on Gulf oil in the future.<\/p>\n

Trump earlier this week downplayed<\/a> the importance of talks with Xi on the 11-week-old Iran war that has led to surging energy prices and threatens to plunge the global economy into recession if the conflict does not conclude soon.<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

Mistreanu reported from Bangkok. Associated Press writers Huizhong Wu in Bangkok and Darlene Superville and Josh Boak in Washington contributed to this report.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

BEIJING (AP) \u2014 U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that he has not made a decision on whether to move forward with a major arms package for Taiwan after hearing concerns about it from Chinese President Xi Jinping. Trump\u2019s comments on Taiwan \u2014 a self-ruled island that China claims as its own territory \u2014 came […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12865,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12864","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12864","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12864"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12864\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12865"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12864"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12864"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12864"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}