🇺🇸🇨🇳 Trump-Xi: Could Taiwan Become the Biggest Issue at the U.S.-China Summit?

Taiwan is emerging as one of the most sensitive issues ahead of the expected September 24, 2026 meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington. Reuters reports that U.S. allies in Asia are increasingly concerned about how Trump may approach Taiwan during the talks, particularly after he described U.S. arms sales to Taiwan as a “negotiating chip” with Beijing. Why Taiwan matters to Beijing China considers Taiwan part of its territory and describes the issue as central to its relationship with Washington. Beijing has opposed U.S. arms sales to Taiwan and has not ruled out using force to bring the island under its control. Taiwan's government rejects Beijing's sovereignty claim. What is Washington's position? The United States has no formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan but maintains substantial unofficial relations and is its principal international arms supplier. U.S. officials have continued to emphasise the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. Trump has also previously declined to say whether the United States would defend Taiwan if China attacked, saying that he would not discuss that question publicly. Why Japan and Taiwan are watching closely Reuters reports that officials in Taipei and Tokyo are concerned that even a subtle change in U.S. language or policy could affect regional security calculations. Japan is particularly attentive because any major Taiwan Strait crisis could have significant implications for its own security and regional trade. Taiwan is also strategically important to the global technology industry because of its role in semiconductor manufacturing. Taiwan isn't the only issue. The summit is expected to involve much more than Taiwan. Trade, technology, AI, semiconductors and broader strategic competition are also important areas of U.S.-China tension. Interestingly, U.S. and Chinese security experts published proposals today calling for safeguards around military AI, including human control over consequential cyber operations and restrictions on autonomous AI involvement in nuclear decision-making. The key question The central issue may therefore be less about whether Trump and Xi discuss Taiwan—which appears highly likely—and more about what, if anything, they say or agree regarding the island. Any significant change in language concerning Taiwan, arms sales or U.S. commitments could attract considerable attention from Beijing, Taipei, Tokyo and other U.S. allies. Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/china/us-allies-fret-over-how-trump-might-play-his-taiwan-hand-with-xi-2026-09-17