Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to urge US President Donald Trump to halt American arms sales to Taiwan when the two leaders meet in Washington this week, according to people familiar with preparations for the summit.
The issue is expected to feature prominently in discussions between Xi and Trump as they seek to manage tensions between the world’s two largest economies.
It was reported on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, that three sources familiar with the US-China discussions said Beijing was likely to raise the issue of American arms sales to Taiwan, potentially invoking a 1982 US-China joint communiqué in its argument.
Under the 1982 communiqué, Washington stated that it intended to gradually reduce its arms sales to Taiwan and did not seek to maintain long-term weapons sales to the island.
China has repeatedly cited the agreement while calling on the United States to end arms sales to Taiwan, which Beijing regards as part of its territory.
However, the 1982 commitment was accompanied by a memorandum from then-US President Ronald Reagan stating that any reduction in arms sales was conditional on China’s continued commitment to resolving differences with Taiwan peacefully. The United States also issued the so-called Six Assurances to Taiwan in 1982, which included assurances that Washington had not agreed to set a date for ending arms sales to Taiwan.
The Taiwan issue has become an increasingly sensitive element of the Trump administration’s relationship with Beijing. Trump previously described a proposed $14 billion arms package for Taiwan as a “negotiating chip” in discussions with China and has delayed a decision on the package.
The United States approved an earlier package worth approximately $11 billion for Taiwan in December 2025, according to Reuters, while the additional $14 billion package remains under consideration.
China has reportedly gone beyond opposing future weapons sales and is seeking an end to deliveries of weapons that Taiwan has already ordered.
Beijing’s position reflects its broader opposition to US military support for Taiwan. China claims sovereignty over the island and has repeatedly opposed what it regards as foreign interference in the Taiwan issue.
Taiwan, which maintains its own democratically elected government, rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims. US law also requires Washington to make defensive articles and services available to Taiwan, despite the absence of formal diplomatic relations between Washington and Taipei.
The Trump-Xi meeting is scheduled for September 24 in Washington, with the summit expected to address a range of issues, including trade, artificial intelligence, Iran and US-China strategic relations.
The Taiwan arms issue could therefore test the two countries’ efforts to maintain what they have described as a period of “constructive strategic stability.” Analysts and US lawmakers have continued to debate how far Washington should accommodate Beijing’s concerns while maintaining its longstanding support for Taiwan’s self-defence.
For now, the reported request remains an expected position ahead of the meeting, rather than a demand publicly delivered by Xi or an agreement reached between the two leaders.