Taiwan watches Xi-Trump summit, expects US arms sales to continue

Taiwan expressed confidence that U.S. arms sales will continue as China's Xi Jinping arrived in Washington to meet President Donald Trump, despite Beijing's pressure to halt them. The island closely watches the summit's outcome. The U.S. paused a record $14 billion arms package after a May summit, with Trump calling such sales a "negotiating chip." However, Taiwan's Defense Ministry cited repeated U.S. support for its self-defense, and Washington approved an $11 billion package in December. Hours before Xi's arrival, Taiwan's military held live-fire drills featuring a domestically developed armored vehicle, highlighting its push for self-sufficiency. Trump has pressed President Lai Ching-te to raise defense spending, with the budget set to exceed 3% of GDP by 2027.