Trump Says He's Discussing Taiwan Arms Sales with Xi Jinping, Breaking Decades of U.S. Policy

President Trump publicly stated during a press availability that he is discussing potential U.S. arms sales to Taiwan with Chinese President Xi Jinping, saying they had a "good" conversation and would announce a decision "soon." This admission represents a stunning departure from decades-old U.S. policy, which has historically kept arms sales decisions separate from consultations with Beijing. The comment raised immediate concerns in Taipei and among U.S. lawmakers, with Representative Ro Khanna calling it "alarming and a blatant violation of U.S. policy and the six assurances." Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement expressing "serious concern" about any changes to the longstanding U.S. commitment to Taiwan's defense. The White House later attempted to clarify that U.S. policy toward Taiwan "has not changed," but Trump's statement suggests he may be giving China veto power over U.S. defense commitments to the democratic island. The revelation comes ahead of a plann...

"I'm talking to President Xi about it. We had a very good conversation, and we'll be announcing something soon." — Trump's statement during a press availability when asked about U.S. arms sales to Taiwan