As U.S. President Donald Trump prepares for a crucial summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, Taiwan has emerged as the most sensitive issue shaping U.S.-China relations. While global concerns such as the Iran conflict and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz loom large, Beijing’s primary focus remains the self-governed island democracy that China claims as its own. Tensions have intensified after Washington approved major arms sales to Taiwan, including an $11 billion package last year and another proposed $14 billion deal awaiting Trump’s approval.
The possibility that Trump could negotiate aspects of U.S. policy on Taiwan with Xi has sparked concern in Taipei. Taiwan fears Washington could soften its long-standing position on Taiwanese independence in exchange for improved ties with Beijing. However, Taiwan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Chen Ming-chi expressed confidence in the U.S.-Taiwan partnership, calling America a “dependable ally.” He emphasized Taiwan’s strategic importance to global security and technology, noting that the island produces nearly 90% of the world’s advanced semiconductors used in artificial intelligence and defense systems.
China continues to insist that reunification with Taiwan is inevitable, with Xi previously declaring the process “unstoppable.” While Beijing has not ruled out the use of force, Taiwanese officials argue that the island’s democratic society would never accept Chinese Communist Party rule. Chen pointed to Beijing’s crackdown on pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong as evidence of the risks Taiwan faces. “The people of Taiwan have not lived one single day under Chinese Communist Party rule,” he said, stressing that Taiwan’s citizens deeply value freedom, democracy, and human rights.
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