Xi to press Trump to halt Taiwan arms sales at Washington summit

September 22, 2026 at 03:36 PM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will ask U.S. President Donald Trump to halt arms sales to Taiwan during their meeting in Washington this week. Xi will base the request on the 1982 U.S.-China joint communiqué, three sources told Reuters. The leaders' formal talks are scheduled for Thursday, with Xi arriving Wednesday.

Key Facts

Xi Jinping will ask Donald Trump to halt U.S. arms sales to Taiwan during their Washington meeting this week, three sources told Reuters.
Xi will base the request on the August 17, 1982 U.S.-China joint communiqué, which stated the U.S. did not intend to sell arms to Taiwan on a long-term basis.
Xi is scheduled to arrive in Washington on Wednesday, with formal talks between the two leaders planned for Thursday and a visit to the U.S. National Archives on Friday.
China also wants the U.S. to stop delivery of weapons Taiwan has already purchased but not yet received, according to the sources.
The 1982 communiqué has been interpreted differently by Washington and Beijing for 44 years, with the U.S. linking arms sales reductions to China's peaceful approach to Taiwan.

The 1982 Communiqué

The August 17, 1982 joint communiqué between Washington and Beijing is considered one of the fundamental diplomatic documents on future U.S. arms sales to Taiwan. In the communiqué, the U.S. stated it did not intend to sell arms to Taiwan on a long-term or continuous basis and announced its intention to gradually reduce sales over time. Washington and Beijing have never shared the same interpretation of the document, with U.S. administrations linking arms sales reductions to China's continued peaceful approach to resolving the Taiwan issue. Policy notes prepared by then-U.S. President Ronald Reagan in 1982 stated that Washington's approach to reducing arms sales was conditional on China maintaining its policy of peacefully resolving the Taiwan issue.

China's Demands

China's request covers not only future arms sales but also the delivery of weapons Taiwan has already purchased from the U.S. but has not yet received, according to the sources. One source said Xi is expected to tell Trump that Taiwan is the source of instability in U.S.-China relations and that Taipei is the side changing the status quo. China's Foreign Ministry reiterated its firm opposition to U.S. arms sales to Taiwan and said Washington's adherence to the three joint communiqués and its previous commitments on Taiwan is a condition for stable bilateral relations.

U.S. Taiwan Policy

The U.S. has recognized the People's Republic of China diplomatically since 1979 and does not maintain official diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Under the 'Six Assurances' given to Taiwan in the same period and later made public, Washington stated it had not set a date for ending arms sales to Taiwan and had not agreed to consult Beijing in advance on such sales. As a result, the 1982 communiqué continues to be interpreted differently by Washington and Beijing 44 years later.