Xi-Trump Taiwan Dispute Explained: What China Said and Why Taiwan Is Pushing Back

Chinese President Xi Jinping again pressed U.S. President Donald Trump over Taiwan during their White House meeting on Sept. 24, saying Washington should oppose “Taiwan independence” and handle the Taiwan question with caution.

The remarks followed a similar warning Xi delivered during his May summit with Trump in Beijing, when he said mishandling the issue could lead to “clashes and even conflicts” between China and the United States.

In reply, Taiwan has stated once again that its future must be decided by its own people and that it’ll go on reinforcing its ability to defend itself. Meanwhile, the dispute is closely connected to a U.S. arms deal worth approximately $14 billion, which Trump has put on hold since May and had earlier referred to as a bargaining chip for use with Beijing.

Taiwan is at the center of one of the sensitive disagreements in U.S.-China relations. Beijing considers Taiwan part of its territory and hasn’t excluded the possibility of using force, whereas Taiwan has its own government and democratic system. Washington maintains unofficial contacts and supplies Taiwan with defence equipment pursuant to the Taiwan Relations Act.

What Xi Told Trump About Taiwan

During their May 14 summit in Beijing, Xi told Trump that “the Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-U.S. relations.” “If it is handled properly, the bilateral relationship will enjoy overall stability,” Xi said. He added that mishandling the issue could lead to clashes and conflicts and put the broader bilateral relationship at risk.

Xi also told Trump that “‘Taiwan independence’ and cross-Strait peace are as irreconcilable as fire and water,” adding that “safeguarding peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is the biggest common denominator between China and the U.S.”

China’s Foreign Ministry reiterated its stance, stating that Taiwan was an important issue in the bilateral relations and advising Washington to exercise caution.

The May meeting released by the White House didn’t include any reference to Taiwan, focusing instead on economic cooperation and other aspects of U.S.-China engagement. The contrast between the two governments’ statements showed the difference in how Beijing and Washington had presented the discussion.

The Taiwan Arms Sales Dispute

The Taiwan issue is also tied to a proposed U.S. arms package worth about $14 billion. The package was being held up by the Trump administration before the May summit and remained pending in September. Trump was delaying the package, while U.S. officials said the administration was weighing its own military requirements and industrial capacity.

The composition of the $14 billion package hasn’t been publicly detailed in full, and has been linked to planned sales of air-defence capabilities, missiles, counter-drone systems and other equipment. Taiwan has a backlog of approved U.S. weapons deliveries worth nearly $30 billion, according to tracking by the Taiwan Security Monitor at George Mason University.

After the May summit talks, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington’s Taiwan policy had no changes. “U.S. policy on the issue of Taiwan is unchanged as of today, and as of the meeting that we had here today,” he added.

Trump linked the pending arms package to China’s actions. In a Fox News interview, when asked about the weapons sale, Trump said, “It depends on China. It’s a very good negotiating chip for us, frankly.”

The comments drew attention as U.S. policy has historically avoided consulting Beijing over arms sales to Taiwan. The Six Assurances, issued to Taiwan in 1982, included a U.S. commitment that Washington had not agreed to consult the People’s Republic of China on arms sales to Taiwan.

Why Taiwan Is Pushing Back

Taiwan has stressed that its stance regarding its political future is separate from Beijing’s assertions. After Xi’s May warning, Taiwan’s Cabinet spokesperson Michelle Lee said Taipei was grateful for U.S. support. “The U.S. has also repeatedly reiterated its firm and clear position of support for Taiwan,” he added.

Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung also expressed his thanks to Washington for having reasserted its support for peace and stability throughout the Taiwan Strait and for stating that U.S. policy towards Taiwan had not changed. Following the September White House summit, Taiwan’s stance became clearer.

On Sept. 25, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Taiwan stated that the remarks made by China after the summit expressed Beijing’s long-standing position and reaffirmed the fact that Taiwan and the People’s Republic of China are not subordinate to one another. It also said that Taiwan’s future should be decided by its people through democratic means.

The ministry’s reply as China’s statement about the Sept. 24 meeting claimed that Xi had asked Washington to oppose “Taiwan independence” and to deal with the Taiwan issue with caution. However, the Chinese statement didn’t claim that the two leaders had agreed to any change in U.S. policy towards Taiwan.

What Happened at the September White House Summit?

The September meeting gave the Taiwan dispute a second high-level setting within four months. On Sept. 23, Xi arrived in Washington for a state visit and on September 24 met Trump at the White House. This meeting followed the agreement reached by the two leaders in May to pursue what Beijing refers to as a “constructive China-U.S. relationship of strategic stability”.

According to China’s official statement, Xi once more mentioned Taiwan and made it clear that Beijing’s stance on protecting national unity and territorial integrity is firm. He called on the United States to oppose “Taiwan independence” and to deal with the Taiwan issue with care. Trump said that the two countries should continue their dialogue and cooperation, according to the same report.

The White House hasn’t given any public information as to whether the leaders arrived at any new understanding regarding Taiwan during the private meeting, and news coverage focused on Taiwan also observed that Trump and Xi didn’t respond to reporters’ questions about whether Taiwan had been discussed after the talks.

Before the summit, Taiwan said it would maintain close contact with Washington over planned weapons sales, while U.S. officials said the pending $14 billion package was still under consideration.

Background: Why Taiwan Matters to China and the U.S.

Since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949, Taiwan has been running its own government, possessing its own military, currency and legal system. Beijing considers Taiwan to be part of China and states that reunification must happen, while Taiwan refuses to accept Beijing’s claim of sovereignty.

In 1979, the United States changed its diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing but had unofficial relations with Taiwan. According to the Taiwan Relations Act, Washington gives Taiwan the means of maintaining its ability to defend itself.

The United States also adheres to a policy of strategic ambiguity, meaning that it doesn’t clearly state whether it would take military action if China attacked Taiwan.

China has on numerous occasions raised objections to U.S. arms sales to Taiwan and to other kinds of U.S.-Taiwan security cooperation, and considers any step in the direction of formal Taiwanese independence as unacceptable.

The difficulty lies in balancing its unofficial relationship with Taiwan and its obligations in the field of security against the need to handle its relations with Beijing, the world’s second-largest economy.

Although the summit has brought no publicly declared change to U.S. policy towards Taiwan, Beijing has still been urging Washington to oppose any form of Taiwanese independence and to limit the kind of support which China regards as interference.

Taiwan is aiming for U.S. defence assistance while stressing the importance of self-defence and keeping its present political system. The Taiwan issue will continue to be a major source of friction even though Washington and Beijing are working together on trade, artificial intelligence and other aspects of their relationship.