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Rajoni dhe Bota2026-02-05 11:14:00

Xi warns Trump: US to be careful when supplying arms to Taiwan

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Xi warns Trump: US to be careful when supplying arms to Taiwan
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Chinese leader Xi Jinping has called Taiwan "the most important issue" in China-US relations during a phone call with US President Donald Trump.

Xi told Trump to be "cautious" when supplying arms to the island, state media reported, adding that he attached "great importance" to ties with Washington and hoped the two sides could find ways to resolve their differences.

Trump called Wednesday's call "excellent" and "long and thorough."

The call followed a string of visits by Western leaders, including UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, to China in recent months, in the hope of restoring relations with the world's second-largest economy.

Trump himself will visit China in April, a trip he said he was looking forward to. He added that Beijing was considering buying 20 million tons of American soybeans, up from the 12 million tons it currently has.

"The relationship with China and my personal relationship with President Xi is extremely good and we both understand how important it is to keep it that way," he wrote in a post on Truth Social.

In addition to Taiwan and soybeans, Trump and Xi discussed Russia's war in Ukraine, the current situation in Iran, and China's purchase of oil and gas by the United States, the US president wrote.

Regarding Taiwan, Xi said the self-ruled island was "China's territory" and that Beijing "must safeguard [Taiwan's] sovereignty and territorial integrity."

"The United States should approach the issue of arms sales to Taiwan with caution," he warned.

China has long vowed to "reunify" Taiwan and has not ruled out using force to do so.

The US has official ties with Beijing, not Taiwan, and has walked a tight diplomatic tightrope for decades. But it remains a strong ally of Taiwan and is the island's largest arms supplier.

In December, the Trump administration announced a major arms sale worth around $11 billion (£8.2 billion) to Taiwan, which included advanced rocket launchers, self-propelled howitzers and a range of missiles.

Beijing said at the time that this "attempt to support [Taiwan's] independence" would only "accelerate the push towards a dangerous and violent situation across the Taiwan Strait."

"Just as the United States has its concerns, China also has its concerns," Xi told Trump on Wednesday.

"If both sides work in the same direction in the spirit of equality, respect and mutual benefit, we can surely find ways to respond to each other's concerns."

On Thursday, Taiwan's leader, Lai Ching-te, told reporters that relations with the US remain "rock-solid" and that "all ongoing cooperation projects are continuing."

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