Xi to Press Trump on Taiwan Arms Sales During US Visit

Chinese leader Xi Jinping may demand during his Washington visit that US President Donald Trump halt American arms sales to Taiwan, with Beijing planning to base its position on the 1982 US-China joint communique, Reuters reports, citing informed sources. The Taiwan issue is expected to be a key topic at the leaders' meeting. Beijing may seek not only a halt to new arms contracts but also an end to deliveries of weapons already ordered by Taiwan. One source suggested Xi could frame Taiwan as the main source of instability in bilateral relations and offer US help in pressuring Iran. China regularly calls Taiwan one of the most sensitive issues in US relations and has intensified military pressure on the island, which it considers its territory. The US maintains a "One China" policy without official diplomatic ties with Taiwan but has legislative obligations to provide the island with self-defense means. Xi arrives in the US on September 23.