Trump to Discuss Taiwan Arms Sales with Xi During Beijing Visit

(MENAFN) US President Donald Trump said on Monday that he plans to address US arms sales to Taiwan during upcoming talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing this week.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said the issue would be part of broader discussions with the Chinese leader, noting that Beijing opposes US military support for Taiwan.

“I’m going to have that discussion with President Xi,” Trump told reporters at the White House when asked about US support for Taiwan’s defense. “President Xi would like us not to, and I’ll have that discussion. That’s one of the many things I’ll be talking about.”

He also described the upcoming summit as part of a wider economic and diplomatic engagement with China, emphasizing what he called a strong working relationship between the two leaders.

“I have a great relationship with President Xi. We're doing a lot of business, but it's smart business,” he said.

Trump argued that past US trade relationships with China were unfavorable but said current dealings were more beneficial.

“We used to be taken advantage of for years … and now we’re doing great with China. We make a lot of money with China,” Trump said.

He also referenced regional tensions linked to the Strait of Hormuz, stating that a significant portion of China’s oil imports pass through the area, while claiming that maritime disruptions had not escalated further.

“In Hormuz, they get a big percentage, 40% of their oil from Hormuz,” he said, adding that tensions there had not led to disruptions in maritime traffic.

“There’s been no ships coming in, no nasty ships coming in, that we end up in skirmishes with,” Trump said.

He added that China also had an interest in reducing tensions, suggesting shared incentives for stability.

“He’d like to see it get done,” Trump said of Xi, adding: “I respect him a lot, and hopefully, he respects me.”

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