"Xi Jinping Expected to Demand Halt to Taiwan Arms Sales at U.S.-China Summit"

China Expected to Offer Middle East Cooperation as Bargaining Chip

Reports have emerged that Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to demand a halt to arms sales to Taiwan during his summit with U.S. President Donald Trump.

According to sources cited by major foreign media outlets on September 22 (local time), China is highly likely to officially raise its interpretation of the "August 17 Joint Communique" of 1982 at the upcoming summit.

U.S. President Donald Trump (left) and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

The August 17 Joint Communique is a diplomatic document in which, after the establishment of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and China, the United States pledged to gradually reduce and ultimately resolve its arms sales to Taiwan over the long term. However, under the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), the U.S. has consistently supplied Taiwan with defensive weapons for the maintenance of its self-defense capability, and has maintained the position that any reduction in arms sales must be premised on China’s peaceful resolution efforts.

According to the sources, China is demanding not only a suspension of new arms sales approvals but also a halt to the execution of weapons contracts that Taiwan has already ordered and is awaiting delivery for. In addition, President Xi is reportedly identifying Taiwan as the cause of instability in U.S.-China relations, while at the same time suggesting that, in exchange, China could assist the U.S. in stabilizing the situation in the Middle East, including Iran.

It has also been reported that, during his visit to the United States, President Xi is considering visiting the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) to directly address matters related to the August 17 Joint Communique.

Previously, in December of last year, the United States approved arms sales to Taiwan worth $11.10504 billion (about 16 trillion won), the largest scale to date, and China responded by conducting large-scale military exercises around Taiwan.

During his summit with President Trump in May, President Xi also emphasized, "Peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait is the greatest common denominator between the U.S. and China," and further stressed, "The United States must handle the Taiwan issue with utmost caution."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.