Why Taiwan Became the Defining Issue in the Trump-Xi Talks
U.S. President Donald Trump had said arms sales to Taiwan would be on the agenda for his talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping which ended Friday.
TL;DR
- Taiwan's arms sales and potential defense were expected to be discussed between Trump and Xi.
- Xi Jinping issued a stern warning that mishandling Taiwan could jeopardize U.S.-China relations.
- Trump indicated that the U.S. is not looking to fight a war over Taiwan's independence.
- Trump stated that U.S. policy on Taiwan remains unchanged, acknowledging the 'One China' policy.
- Taiwanese officials interpreted Trump and Rubio's comments as signaling no change in U.S. policy.
- China's readout of the meeting emphasized cooperation and did not mention Taiwan.