Xi Urges Trump to Limit Taiwan Arms Sales

Chinese leader Xi Jinping told US President Donald Trump to be 'prudent' when supplying arms to Taiwan during a phone call, emphasizing that Taiwan is 'China's territory' and that Beijing must safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity. The call comes ahead of Trump's planned visit to China in April and follows a recent flurry of visits by Western leaders to China. Xi and Trump discussed various issues, including trade, Russia's war in Ukraine, and China's purchase of US soybeans. Xi stressed the importance of maintaining a good relationship with the US, while Trump cast the call as 'excellent' and 'long and thorough'.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump had a nearly two-hour phone call where Xi pressed Trump on the issue of Taiwan, stating it was the most important issue in China-US relations and warning the US to handle arms sales to Taiwan with caution. Trump described the call as 'excellent' and 'long and thorough', discussing various topics including Iran, Ukraine, and soybeans ahead of his visit to China in April. The call comes after the US approved an $11 billion arms package for Taiwan in December, and amid concerns that Trump's willingness to use military force could embolden China to take action on Taiwan.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping warned US President Donald Trump to be 'prudent' about supplying arms to Taiwan during their phone call, emphasizing that the Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-US relations. Taiwan's president, Lai Ching-te, responded by stating that ties with the US are 'rock solid.' The call was their first since November and covered topics such as Taiwan's future, Russia's war in Ukraine, and China buying oil and gas from the US. The US has not officially recognized Taiwan as a country but is its strongest informal backer and arms supplier. China claims Taiwan as its own territory and reacted angrily to the US's proposed $11.1bn arms sales package to Taiwan in December.