US-China negotiation on Taiwan: Xi could ask Trump to stop arms sales

The island of Taiwan, strategic for Beijing's interests in the area and at the center of long-standing tensions with Washington, could end up at the center of a negotiation between the two leaders. According to the Reuters agency, which cited three sources informed of the preparatory talks, Xi is ready to ask Trump to stop the sale of US arms to Taipei, including deliveries already ordered. The quid pro quo would see China ready to offer greater collaboration in putting pressure on Iran to end the war that is paralyzing trade in the Persian Gulf.

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As stated by sources at Reuters, Xi Jinping would be ready to draw Trump's attention to the Third Joint Communiqué, signed by the two countries on August 17, 1982, which commits the United States to gradually reduce arms sales to Taiwan, effectively interrupting long-term supplies. Already on that occasion, however, the then President of the United States Ronald Reagan specified that the stop would be subordinated to Beijing's desire to pursue a peaceful resolution of the differences with the Republic of China.

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After the green light last December for 11 billion supplies destined for Taiwan, Trump is taking his time on the new arms package, worth 14 billion. However, the dossier continues to fuel internal debate in the US with the Wall Street Journal going on the attack. According to the newspaper, beyond the welcome "worthy of a sovereign" that the US president is preparing to reserve for his counterpart, Xi's "absolute priority will remain Taiwan as always". “It aims to ensure that Trump delays or blocks the sale of US arms to the democratic island and giving in to this request would represent a historic mistake,” writes the WSJ.

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The possible US-China negotiation on the Taiwanese dossier is part of a worsening of tensions between the two countries over Iran. In recent days, the spokesperson of the Beijing Foreign Ministry, Guo Jiakun, has clarified his opposition to American sanctions against Tehran's airlines. "China consistently opposes illegal unilateral sanctions that have no basis in international law or authorization from the United Nations Security Council," Guo said after US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent threatened measures on TV.

On the main open economic issues, Bessent himself last Monday led, together with the Secretary of Commerce Jamieson Greer, consultations in New York with the Chinese Vice Prime Minister He Lifeng. According to Beijing, the sides had "candid, in-depth and constructive" exchanges and discussed artificial intelligence. The summit meeting comes at a time of relaunch in technological competition despite the progressive easing of mutual duties.

With the trade war erupting in 2025 and characterized by a series of mutual retaliations, China had come to block supplies of critical minerals essential for the production of a wide range of technological goods, from electric cars to military fighters. It is not excluded that Xi and Trump will also confront each other on this issue, in search of stability that guarantees, on the one hand, the USA to continue rebalancing the trade balance, and on the other, China to consolidate its position in the world order.

On the agenda of the talks in Washington, the two leaders could finally address the issue of the race for artificial intelligence which risks fomenting competition and undermining collaboration on technological progress. Both parties seem to converge on the need not to block the development of AI, despite recent warnings from the heads of technology companies about risks to humanity resulting from out-of-control AI. "Whoever wins the AI ​​challenge wins everything," Trump has declared several times, claiming that the US is ahead of China in the growth of something that "will be bigger than the Industrial Revolution or the Internet itself."

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