Trump-Xi Summit: Asian Allies Seek Stability Without Sacrificing Security

America's Asian allies want President Donald Trump's meeting with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to ease tensions between the world's two largest economies, but they don't want that stability to come at their expense. Ahead of Thursday's summit in Washington, the U.S. joined Japan and South Korea in reaffirming its "ironclad" defense commitments to both countries and opposing unilateral attempts to change the status quo across the Taiwan Strait. The statement came amid concerns that Trump could soften Washington's position on Taiwan or other regional security issues in return for concessions from Beijing on trade, or assistance over the war with Iran. Taiwan will be a notable flashpoint, though it's unclear if the island will be part of discussions. Trump postponed a planned $14 billion arms package for Taiwan following his previous summit with Xi in May, describing arms sales as a negotiating tool. Japan and the Philippines fear Trump could soften U.S. support for Taiwan for economic concessions or help ending the Iran war, while Seoul was rattled after Trump cancelled joint U.S.-South Korea exercises last month. On trade, expectations are modest, with an extension of the trade truce beyond six months viewed as a meaningful signal. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the truce was extended for two months, to Jan. 10.