US Allies Grow Anxious Over Trump’s Taiwan Stance Ahead of Xi Jinping Summit

 

WASHINGTON/TOKYO/TAIPEI — US allies in Asia are increasingly concerned that President Donald Trump could soften Washington’s support for Taiwan in exchange for an economic agreement with China when he meets Chinese President Xi Jinping later this month.

The concerns have intensified since Trump described US arms sales to Taiwan as a potential “negotiating chip” during discussions with Xi in May.

Trump and Xi are expected to meet on September 24, with trade and other economic issues expected to feature prominently. But officials and analysts in Taiwan, Japan and the United States say Taiwan could also become a major issue in the talks.

They warn that even a subtle change in Washington’s language on Taiwan could be interpreted by Beijing as a shift in US policy and could increase uncertainty across the region.

“There’s a great deal of trepidation, particularly from our allies, about where our China policy is going to land,” said Emma Chanlett-Avery, political-security affairs director at the Asia Society Policy Institute.

“Any indication of a softness on Taiwan would be quite alarming,” she added.

China regards Taiwan as a core national interest and has never renounced the use of force to bring the self-governed island under its control.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry and the White House did not immediately respond to questions about the concerns raised by US allies.

Trump has said Xi personally assured him that China would not attack Taiwan while Trump remains in office. Unlike former President Joe Biden, who repeatedly said the United States would defend Taiwan if China attacked, Trump has declined to make the same commitment.

Taiwan Seeks Reassurance From Washington

Taiwanese officials have been communicating their concerns directly to Washington ahead of the Trump-Xi meeting.

Shen Yu-chung, a senior Taiwanese official, said Taiwan hoped there would be no outcome from the summit that would harm the island.

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Taiwanese Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung also said he expected Xi to raise Taiwan during the meeting but noted that Washington had repeatedly said its policy toward Taiwan had not changed.

Taipei is particularly concerned about the fate of a proposed US arms package worth about $14 billion, which has reportedly been awaiting Trump’s approval.

Following his May meeting with Xi, Trump said he was holding the package in abeyance and called it a “very good negotiating chip.”

That remark has fueled concern among US allies that Taiwan-related issues could become part of broader US-China economic negotiations. 

Japan Wants Trump to Maintain Existing Taiwan Policy

Japan is also closely watching the upcoming summit.

Japanese officials have been seeking contact with Trump ahead of the meeting, according to two Japanese government sources cited by Reuters. A senior Japanese Foreign Ministry official visited Washington last week as part of efforts to secure a meeting between Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

Japan’s Foreign Ministry declined to comment on the reported visits and said no contact between Takaichi and Trump had been decided.

Tokyo has said it will closely follow the Trump-Xi summit and believes US-China relations should contribute to international stability.

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According to one Japanese source, Tokyo wants Trump to maintain established diplomatic language on Taiwan and avoid allowing the Taiwan issue to dominate the summit.

Two senior Japanese ruling-party lawmakers told Reuters that one concern was that Trump could signal a softer position on Taiwan while seeking Chinese commitments to purchase US goods ahead of the US midterm elections.

Why Taiwan Matters to the Region

Taiwan is one of the most sensitive issues in US-China relations.

The United States maintains a “one China” policy, under which Washington does not recognize Taiwan as a separate sovereign state and acknowledges Beijing’s position regarding Taiwan without endorsing China’s claim to sovereignty over the island.

At the same time, Washington has maintained extensive unofficial relations with Taiwan and has supplied the island with military equipment for decades.

Chinese officials have repeatedly demanded that the United States stop arms sales to Taiwan and oppose what Beijing considers moves toward Taiwanese independence.

Wu Xinbo, a professor at China’s Fudan University who advises China’s Foreign Ministry, said Washington now needed to take Beijing’s concerns about arms sales more seriously.

Experts cited in the Reuters report say that changes in US rhetoric could carry significant consequences because of the sensitivity of the Taiwan issue.

Conflict Could Have Global Economic Consequences

Taiwan’s strategic importance extends beyond military and diplomatic considerations.

The island is a major center of advanced semiconductor manufacturing, producing more than 90% of the world’s advanced semiconductors, according to the Reuters report.

A conflict in or around Taiwan could therefore have consequences far beyond East Asia, disrupting global supply chains and potentially affecting the technology, automotive and electronics industries.

Raja Nushirwan Zainal Abidin, Malaysia’s director general of national security, warned during a visit to Washington that the international community needs to pay close attention to the potential consequences of a conflict over Taiwan.

“It will change the world as we know it, and because of that we have to be very, very careful,” he said.

With Trump and Xi preparing for their expected September 24 meeting, Taiwan is therefore emerging as one of the most closely watched issues surrounding the summit. US allies in Asia are seeking reassurance that Washington’s longstanding approach toward Taiwan will not be substantially altered as part of wider negotiations with Beijing.