Trump-Xi Summit in Beijing Eyes Taiwan Policy

U.S. President Donald Trump will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing next month, with Taiwan at the top of Beijing's agenda for the summit, prompting close scrutiny from Taiwanese officials amid fears of possible adjustments to American policy on the island.

The gathering marks a shift from the leaders' meeting last year in South Korea, where Taiwan was sidelined. Officials preparing for the trip said China has raised the issue at working levels, echoing a prior request to former President Joe Biden in 2024 to alter U.S. language on Taiwan from "does not support" independence to "oppose" it. The United States declined that change. Neither China's foreign ministry nor the U.S. State Department responded to requests for comment.

Under its one China policy, the United States takes no position on Taiwan's sovereignty, acknowledges but does not accept Beijing's claim over the island, states it does not support independence and provides defensive arms. Trump administration officials have affirmed no policy shift, noting they have approved more weapons sales to Taiwan in just over a year of his second term than Biden authorized during his full presidency. The most recent...