Before Xi Jinping's visit to the US, Taiwanese worry about postponed arms deliveries
Donald Trump described US arms sales to Taiwan as a 'negotiating chip' with China following his trip in May. But by tying these deliveries to broader negotiations, Washington is undermining its longstanding support for Taiwan.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to visit the United States from September 23 to 25, marking his first state visit to the country in nearly three years. This visit comes after President Donald Trump's trip to Beijing earlier in 2026 and is expected to focus on discussions between the two leaders, with limited time allocated for other events. Xi will arrive at Washington, D.C., where Trump is expected to greet him on the tarmac, a departure from the usual protocol.
The agenda for Xi's visit is likely to revolve around ongoing discussions regarding trade and artificial intelligence. China and the U.S. have recently agreed to set up an Artificial Intelligence dialogue, with both countries expressing optimism about the potential of AI, despite warnings of its dangers. Both nations seem to share common ground in addressing AI-related concerns, even though they have fiercely disagreed on specific issues.
Before Xi's arrival, trade talks between China and the U.S. have been taking place, with the recent year-long tariff truce set to expire in November. The two countries have met to discuss important economic and trade issues, with a focus on identifying potential goods for which tariffs could be cut. The current effective tariff rate on goods coming from China is around 22.8%, with some items, such as steel and aluminium, facing rates as high as 40.5%.
Written by urgent.news from Mothership's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
