By Ginika Igboke
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Feb. 16 that he discussed U.S. arms sales to Taiwan with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and will soon decide whether to meet Beijing’s demand to halt the sales.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said he had a productive conversation with Xi and described their relationship as positive despite differences.
“I’m talking to him about it. We had a good conversation, and we’ll make a determination pretty soon,” Trump said, without providing further details. He added that he expects to visit China in April for talks with Xi.
The two leaders spoke by phone on Feb. 4. During the call, Xi emphasized that Taiwan remains the most sensitive issue in U.S.–China relations and urged Trump to handle arms sales to the island with caution. According to a statement from China’s foreign ministry, Xi reiterated Beijing’s territorial claim over Taiwan and stressed that “mutual trust” is essential to improving bilateral ties, calling for “win-win cooperation” with the Trump administration.
In a Feb. 4 post on Truth Social, Trump described the call as “long and thorough,” saying it covered several key topics, including Taiwan and his planned trip to Beijing. He said the U.S.–China relationship—and his personal relationship with Xi—is “an extremely good one,” and emphasized the importance of maintaining it.
In December, Washington approved an $11.1 billion arms package for Taiwan, the largest weapons sale ever proposed for the island and the second such deal under the current Trump administration. That followed a $330 million arms sale in November 2025 for spare and repair parts for Taiwan’s aircraft fleet.
The latest package includes High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, self-propelled howitzers, Altius loitering munition drones, Javelin anti-tank missiles, other anti-armor systems, spare parts for AH-1W helicopters, and refurbishment kits for Harpoon missiles.
Days after the U.S. announcement, the Chinese Communist Party conducted large-scale live-fire military drills around Taiwan involving numerous fighter jets and naval vessels. Chinese military officials described the exercises as a “serious warning” against what they called “Taiwan Independence” separatist forces.
The Chinese Communist Party, which has never governed Taiwan, considers the self-ruled island a breakaway province and has not ruled out using force to bring it under its control. Taiwan has consistently rejected Beijing’s sovereignty claims.
The United States opposes any unilateral changes to the status quo by either side and, under U.S. law, is required to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself.
Original article
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