Trump to host Xi Jinping as US allies fear Taiwan may become bargaining chip in trade talks

U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to host Chinese President Xi Jinping for a high-stakes summit in Washington on September 24, 2026. The meeting has sparked intense anxiety among Asian allies, particularly Taiwan and Japan, who fear Trump may weaken U.S. support for Taipei in exchange for trade concessions. Concerns are heightened by Trump's delay of a $14 billion arms package for Taiwan, which he has labeled a negotiating chip, alongside domestic pressures on Trump to secure an economic victory ahead of midterm elections.

Trump approval ratings pressure

• ▪U.S. President Donald Trump is seeking to shore up his domestic political position and approval ratings, which have been dented by the war with Iran.
• ▪U.S. President Donald Trump played down reports that Chinese entities supplied Iran with satellite intelligence for an attack on a U.S. military base in Jordan, stating that Xi Jinping had behaved reasonably well.

Trump-Xi summit preparations

• ▪U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to host Chinese President Xi Jinping for a bilateral summit in Washington on September 24, 2026.
• ▪U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is scheduled to meet Chinese counterpart He Lifeng for pre-summit talks regarding Iran sanctions and trade.
• ▪U.S. President Donald Trump will personally greet Chinese President Xi Jinping at Joint Base Andrews on September 23, 2026, ahead of their bilateral meetings and a White House state dinner.

US-China trade tensions

• ▪The Economist Intelligence Unit analyst Yue Su stated there is room for progress on tariffs, agricultural purchases, and selected export controls during the bilateral talks.
• ▪U.S. President Donald Trump describes his talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping as an effort to rebalance trade relations between the United States and China.

Debatable claims

• ▪The US should approve the delayed $14 billion arms package for Taiwan
• ▪Trump's transactional foreign policy undermines US alliances in Asia
• ▪The US should explicitly commit to defending Taiwan from a Chinese attack

China's Taiwan territorial claims

• ▪Malaysia's director general for national security, Raja Nushirwan Zainal Abidin, stated during a Washington visit that Western countries significantly underestimate Taiwan's importance to Beijing.
• ▪Former Chinese ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai stated at a Beijing defense forum that reunification with Taiwan would bring stability in line with U.S. interests.
• ▪China claims Taiwan as its territory, calling the island the core of core interests in its relations with the United States, and has not ruled out using force to establish control.

Taiwan arms sales negotiations

• ▪U.S. President Donald Trump has withheld approval for a $14 billion package of U.S. weapons for Taiwan for several months, describing it as a negotiating chip.
• ▪Fudan University professor Wu Xinbo stated that Washington must take Beijing's concerns over arms sales to Taiwan seriously after ignoring the issue for a long time.
• ▪U.S. President Donald Trump characterized U.S. arms sales to Taiwan as a bargaining chip during his May 2026 meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing.

Asian allies' policy concerns

• ▪Japanese officials fear that U.S. President Donald Trump might soften his stance on Taiwan in exchange for Chinese commitments to purchase U.S. goods to present as an economic achievement ahead of midterm elections.
• ▪Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi sought to arrange a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly to convey Tokyo's position on Taiwan.
• ▪Government officials, lawmakers, and analysts in Taipei, Tokyo, and Washington fear that a shift in U.S. rhetoric during the September 2026 summit could embolden Beijing and threaten regional peace.
• ▪Taiwanese Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung stated that he expects Chinese President Xi Jinping to raise the Taiwan issue during the September 2026 summit, but noted Washington has repeatedly reaffirmed its policy remains unchanged.