Trump to Raise Taiwan Arms Sales and Jimmy Lai at Xi Summit
CNBC reported Monday that President Donald Trump has placed U.S. arms sales to Taiwan and the imprisonment of Hong Kong publisher Jimmy Lai on his agenda for a Thursday summit in Beijing with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
Taiwan Arms Sales Draw Sharp Lines
When asked about Washington’s enduring commitment to Taiwan’s defense, Trump said simply that he would raise the matter directly with Xi. He acknowledged Xi prefers the U.S. to halt weapons transfers to the island. The summit is expected to cover a broad set of tensions including trade, rare earth export controls, and Iran.
Beijing has long argued that arming Taiwan violates the one-China principle. China’s foreign ministry warned in December that using Taiwan to constrain Chinese power is “doomed to fail.” The Trump administration has reportedly paused deliveries tied to an $11 billion package authorized during the presidential transition period.
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Background: Taiwan’s Defense Push and Expert Warnings
Taiwan’s parliament last week approved a $25 billion special defense budget for U.S.-supplied missiles and other weapons. That figure falls well short of the $40 billion the government originally sought. Analysts are watching closely for any signal from Trump that softens Washington’s posture.
Bonnie Glaser, managing director of the Indo-Pacific program at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, warned that any ambiguous concession to Beijing would be “the most destabilizing outcome” of the talks. She cautioned that an implicit deal granting China a sphere of influence over Taiwan could encourage Beijing to take bolder steps against the island’s autonomy. China claims Taiwan as its own territory, a position Taiwan’s ruling party firmly rejects.
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Lai’s Case Becomes a Diplomatic Test
Trump also said he would press Beijing again on the fate of Jimmy Lai. A Hong Kong court sentenced Lai to 20 years in February under the national security law imposed in 2020. It is the stiffest sentence handed down under that legislation to date. Lai, 78, has been held for more than five years and was previously serving time on separate fraud charges.
Trump raised Lai’s case at an APEC sideline meeting with Xi last October. Beijing has dismissed foreign appeals for Lai’s release as interference in Hong Kong’s judicial affairs. Lai founded the now-closed Apple Daily newspaper and was convicted of colluding with foreign forces and publishing seditious materials.
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