The Wall Street Journal
WASHINGTON—A major U.S. arms-sales package for Taiwan is in limbo following pressure from Chinese leader Xi Jinping and concerns among some in the Trump administration that greenlighting the weapons deal would derail President Trump’s coming visit to Beijing, according to U.S. officials.
In a phone call earlier this month with Trump, Xi urged caution on U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, the democratic, self-governing island that China claims as part of its territory. Trump wants to avoid antagonizing China ahead of his visit, set for the first week of April, the officials said.
Asked on Monday whether he planned to send more weapons to Taiwan, Trump said he had discussed the issue with Xi. “I’m talking to him about it. We had a good conversation, and we’ll make a determination pretty soon,” he told reporters.
“We have a very good relationship with President Xi,” Trump added.
Beijing was already angered over the $11.1 billion in arms sales for Taiwan that the U.S. unveiled in December. U.S. officials had been discussing approving additional sales when Xi pressed Trump about the issue during the Feb. 4 phone call.
Trump’s advisers are vacillating on the decision, according to a U.S. official familiar with the arms package, who insisted that, while Xi was adamant, Trump wouldn’t be pushed around by China. Trump wants to preserve a trade truce with Xi, a second U.S. official said, so the timing of an arms-sale decision is being carefully considered behind the scenes, the person said.
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