President Donald Trump announced on Monday that US arms sales to Taiwan and the imprisonment of Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai will be featured prominently on his agenda for the Beijing summit later this week.
Washington’s military support for Taiwan has long served as a flashpoint in bilateral relations.
Beijing has consistently accused the US of violating the one-China principle, warning that efforts to contain China through Taipei are destined for failure.
When questioned about the longstanding US commitment to the defense of Taiwan, Trump confirmed he intends to raise the matter directly with President Xi Jinping.
He noted that while the Chinese leader prefers such sales to cease, it remains one of many critical subjects slated for discussion.
Security commitments and defense budgets
The upcoming dialogue follows reports that Beijing has pressured the Trump administration to reduce its security commitments to the island.
Trump is scheduled to meet Xi in Beijing on Thursday for wide-ranging talks covering trade, rare earth export controls, the conflict in Iran, and Taiwan.
Reports indicate that the Trump administration has not yet proceeded with arms deliveries following a record 11 billion dollar weapons package authorized for Taiwan in December. This pause comes just ahead of the presidential summit.
In December, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun stated that aiding Taiwan’s independence through arms sales would ultimately harm the US. He reiterated that any attempt to use the island as a tool for containment would fail.
Meanwhile, Taiwanese lawmakers recently approved a special defense budget of 25 billion dollars for the procurement of missiles and other weaponry from the US.
This figure fell short of the 40 billion dollars originally sought by the government to counter increased military activity from China.
Potential regional instability
Analysts have expressed concern regarding the potential outcomes of the summit. Bonnie Glaser, managing director of the Indo-Pacific program at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, suggested that any rhetorical softening from Trump could be highly destabilizing.
Glaser warned that a bargain where Washington appears to concede a sphere of influence to Beijing over Taiwan in exchange for other concessions might encourage more assertive steps to erode the island’s autonomy.
China continues to claim the democratically governed island as its own territory, a position rejected by Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party.
Chinese officials have labeled Taiwan as the most significant point of risk in the relationship, urging the US to make choices that allow for new cooperation.
Advocacy for Jimmy Lai
In addition to regional security, Trump stated he plans to advocate once again for the release of Jimmy Lai. In February, a Hong Kong court sentenced the 78-year-old media tycoon to 20 years in prison for colluding with foreign forces.
Trump remarked that Lai had tried to do the right thing despite the turmoil caused, expressing a personal desire to see him released.
This follows a previous request made by Trump during a meeting with Xi on the sidelines of the APEC summit last October.
Beijing has maintained a firm stance, asserting that Lai should be severely punished according to the law. Chinese authorities have also accused foreign governments of interfering in the judicial processes of Hong Kong.
Lai, the founder of the closed Apple Daily newspaper, was convicted of collusion, endangering national security, and conspiracy to publish seditious materials.
He has been in detention for over five years, including time served for a separate fraud conviction.
The 20-year term represents the longest sentence handed down under the national security law introduced in 2020. It exceeds the 10-year sentence given to activist and former law professor Benny Tai, who was convicted in November 2024 for conspiring to subvert state power.
