dexinwin BEIJING, September 27, 2026— Taiwan has been closely watching developments in U.S. policy toward the island after Chinese President Xi Jinping urged U.S. President Donald Trump during their September 24 White House meeting to maintain what Beijing calls the correct position of opposing “Taiwan independence” and to handle the Taiwan issue with caution.
The remarks have drawn considerable attention in Taiwan, particularly over questions involving U.S. policy toward Taiwan, future arms sales and whether the latest China-U.S. summit could affect the security situation across the Taiwan Strait.
Taiwan Issue Raised at Xi-Trump Meeting
Xi and Trump met at the White House on September 24 in their second summit of 2026.
According to China's official readout, Xi said China's position on safeguarding national unity and territorial integrity was clear and expressed the hope that Washington would “adhere to the correct position of opposing Taiwan independence” and handle the Taiwan issue carefully.
China linked the issue to what it described as the broader goal of building strategic stability and developing China-U.S. relations.
Taiwan has long been one of the most sensitive issues between Beijing and Washington. Reuters has described the issue as central to China's sovereignty and territorial-integrity claims, while the United States maintains unofficial relations with Taiwan and provides weapons for its self-defense under U.S. law.
Arms Sales Become a Major Focus
One of the most closely watched issues in Taiwan is future U.S. arms sales.
Reuters reported before Xi's Washington visit that Beijing was expected to press Washington over U.S. arms sales to Taiwan and invoke the 1982 U.S.-China joint communiqué. China has consistently opposed U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, while U.S. policy requires Washington to provide Taiwan with defensive capabilities under the Taiwan Relations Act.
A planned arms package worth roughly $14 billion has also drawn attention because of delays.
The situation has prompted debate in Taiwan over whether future weapons sales could be affected by broader negotiations between Beijing and Washington. However, no public announcement so far establishes that the United States has changed its overall Taiwan policy because of the latest summit.
Washington Says Its Taiwan Policy Has Not Changed
The distinction between China's request and actual U.S. policy is important.
U.S. Ambassador to China Perdue said on September 25 that the Trump administration's Taiwan policy had not changed. He said Washington continued to operate under its existing framework, including the U.S. one-China policy, the Taiwan Relations Act, the three U.S.-China joint communiqués and the Six Assurances.
That means China's call for Washington to oppose Taiwan independence should not currently be interpreted as evidence that the United States has formally adopted a new Taiwan policy.
Instead, the summit has once again highlighted the significant differences between Beijing and Washington over Taiwan.
Taiwan Responds to Beijing’s Position
Taiwan's authorities have rejected Beijing's political framing of cross-Strait relations.
Taiwan's foreign ministry has reiterated its own position and emphasized that Taiwan maintains its own approach to security and external relations.
Taiwan has also continued to emphasize maintaining the status quo across the Taiwan Strait while preserving its unofficial relationship with the United States.
At the same time, political debate inside Taiwan has included calls for greater dialogue and risk reduction.
China News Service reported that some Taiwan voices following the Xi-Trump meeting called for the resumption of cross-Strait communication. Kuomintang Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun, for example, said that both sides should seek channels for communication and reducing risks.
The reactions show that the latest summit has generated discussion across different political groups in Taiwan rather than a single unified response.
Policy Changes Remain Uncertain
The latest developments establish several facts but do not yet establish a fundamental change in U.S. Taiwan policy.
China has clearly made opposition to Taiwan independence and careful handling of the Taiwan issue a significant part of its diplomatic message to Washington.
The United States, meanwhile, says its existing Taiwan policy remains unchanged.
The next developments will therefore be closely watched, particularly any changes in U.S. policy language, decisions on new arms sales, delivery schedules for existing contracts and subsequent statements from both governments.
A New Period of Close Observation Across the Taiwan Strait
Taiwan remains a major and highly sensitive issue in China-U.S. relations.
As Beijing and Washington continue discussions on trade, technology, artificial intelligence and regional security, the Taiwan issue will remain an important part of the broader relationship.
The September 24 summit did not eliminate the differences between the two governments. Instead, it placed the Taiwan issue once again at the center of high-level diplomatic discussion.
For Taiwan, the key questions now concern what happens after the summit rather than the wording of the meeting itself.
Future U.S. arms-sales decisions, official policy statements and actions by Beijing, Washington and Taipei will provide a clearer indication of how the latest round of high-level diplomacy affects the Taiwan Strait.
微信扫一扫打赏
支付宝扫一扫打赏