The issue of arms sales behind the scenes of the meeting between Trump and Xi Jinping attracted attention, and experts from US think tanks analyzed China’s intention to gain the right to speak.

U.S. political circles are concerned about arms sales to Taiwan after the Trump-Xi meeting. Ken Mori Yasu, a senior researcher at the Hudson Institute in Washington, pointed out that China intends to have the right to speak. Shaping the discourse that can influence U.S. policymaking. Trump needs Beijing's assistance in the war in Iran and Ukraine. If all parties cannot cooperate before the end of December, he believes that arms sales will be carried out.

The U.S. Congress has passed a $14 billion arms sales package to Taiwan, but the White House has not approved it. Members of both parties have repeatedly called on President Donald Trump to agree as soon as possible. Congress has also discussed possible future arms sales.

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Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping held their second summit of this year in Washington from the 23rd to the 25th. People from all walks of life are paying attention to the U.S. executive branch’s US$14 billion arms sales case. The Washington government had different opinions on this before the meeting. The media reported that it might be released after the second Trump-Xi meeting at the end of the year. There was also news that there would be individual arms sales of smaller amounts.

Ken Mori, a senior researcher at the Hudson Institute, a Washington-based think tank, was interviewed by China Central News Agency and analyzed that for Trump, arms sales to Taiwan are a card in his hand, and he can make good use of this advantage in front of Xi Jinping. During a total of three meetings in September, November and December, Trump may need to achieve a ceasefire in the two wars in Iran and Ukraine and seek concessions from China.

He believes that if all parties cannot cooperate before the end of December, he believes that Trump will conduct arms sales. But there is no need to rush. Last year, the Trump administration agreed to sell US$11 billion in arms packages to Taiwan. This is not the so-called message of abandoning Taiwan.

Beijing hopes that Trump will adjust his statement on Taiwan and change the US's consistent non-support of Taiwan independence to opposition to Taiwan independence. However, China also believes that it is very difficult. The focus of many summits has turned to pressure on arms sales to Taiwan. Some media reports indicate that China intends to revisit the 1982 August 17 communiqué between the United States and China.

Moriyasu Ken pointed out that this is a large structure that China intends to shape. If Trump agrees to arms sales, the September meeting will be canceled. They want to have the right to speak, but the result will not be like this.

He said: "Both the United States and China understand that there will definitely be arms sales, which may be in December or later. China has earlier released the message that if there are arms sales, it will cancel the September meeting. It is intended to create an impression of influence on the decision (U.S. arms sales to Taiwan), but in fact it is not. China wants to have the right to speak, and this is a new method they are using." (Editor: Chen Huiping) 1150926