China's Xi expected to press Trump to halt Taiwan arms sales under 1982 agreement, sources say

Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to press US President Donald Trump to halt US arms sales to Taiwan during his visit to Washington this week, citing a 1982 US-China agreement that called for the gradual reduction of such sales, sources familiar with the discussions told Reuters.

Xi is due to arrive in Washington on Wednesday for a summit with Trump, with formal talks scheduled for Thursday. The two leaders are also expected to visit the US National Archives on Friday, where the Taiwan arms issue could be discussed.

China regards Taiwan as its territory and has repeatedly called for an end to US arms sales to the island, which Beijing considers a major source of tension in US-China relations. Taiwan rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims.

Three sources familiar with preparations for the summit said Beijing was likely to raise its interpretation of the third of three US-China joint communiques, signed in 1982.

Under the communique, Washington said it did not seek a long-term policy of arms sales to Taiwan and intended to gradually reduce such sales. Former US President Ronald Reagan, however, stated in a separate memorandum that any reduction was conditioned on China’s continued commitment to resolving differences with Taiwan peacefully.

The issue comes as Trump weighs another major arms package for Taiwan. The Trump administration approved an $11 billion package in December, while a further package worth about $14 billion has been on hold for months. Trump has described the pending sale as a “very good negotiating chip”, according to Reuters.

China has also asked Washington to stop deliveries of weapons already ordered by Taiwan, the sources said. One source said Xi could argue that Taiwan was the “provocateur” and the source of instability in US-China relations.

The sources also said China could offer cooperation in putting pressure on Iran over the war in the Middle East in return for concessions on Taiwan arms deliveries.

The United States maintains a “one China policy”, under which it does not formally recognise Taiwan as a separate state and acknowledges, but does not endorse, Beijing’s position that Taiwan is part of China. Washington is also legally required to provide Taiwan with the means to maintain its self-defence.

China has significantly increased military activity around Taiwan in recent years, including large-scale exercises involving live missile tests.

Taiwan’s foreign ministry said it was closely monitoring high-level US-China exchanges and maintaining robust communication with Washington.

US lawmakers have meanwhile urged Trump to maintain Washington’s existing Taiwan policy. Republican Senator Pete Ricketts said the United States should continue supporting Taiwan and make clear that Beijing would not be allowed to take the island by force.

Taiwan is expected to remain one of the most sensitive issues during the Trump-Xi summit alongside trade, artificial intelligence and the war in Iran.