Taiwan on Edge as Trump Prepares to Discuss Arms Sales with Xi in Beijing

The impending summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping has cast a shadow of unease over Taiwan. Taipei is closely monitoring the high-stakes discussions, particularly concerning the potential for arms sales to the island to become a bargaining chip in the wider Sino-American relationship. The very notion that Taiwan's security could be bartered away in a deal between Washington and Beijing is a deeply unsettling prospect for the island nation.

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Trump arrives in Beijing on Wednesday for a three-day state visit. According to the White House, the engagements will include a bilateral meeting with Xi and a state banquet on Thursday, as well as a working lunch before Trump departs on Friday.

President Trump's own remarks acknowledging that arms sales to Taiwan would be on the agenda with Xi Jinping have amplified these anxieties. For years, the United States has provided military support to Taiwan, a policy that Beijing has consistently opposed. The possibility that these established arms sales could be jeopardized or used as a concession in Trump's transactional diplomacy has reignited debate and concern within Taiwan about the reliability of US commitments.

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Speaking at the White House on Monday, Trump said arms sales to Taiwan would be among the issues discussed with Xi, who has long opposed Washington’s military support for the island.

Specifically, there is worry that Trump's approach could undermine the 'Six Assurances,' a set of long-standing US pledges that have been a cornerstone of Taiwan's security framework. These assurances include a commitment that Washington would not consult Beijing in advance on arms sales to Taiwan. The Taiwanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated it is closely monitoring the situation and maintaining communication with Washington, but the underlying concern remains: will Taiwan's security interests be protected amidst the complex geopolitical maneuvering between the two global powers?

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The remarks immediately reignited debate in Taiwan over whether Trump’s transactional approach to diplomacy could undermine the “Six Assurances” – long-standing US commitments that Washington would not consult Beijing in advance on arms sales to Taiwan.