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Yuanyue Dang

Taiwan has emerged as the first test of Beijing and Washington’s new “strategic stability” formula, according to analysts.
In the aftermath of the high-profile summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump in Beijing, subtle differences have emerged in how the two sides have characterised Taiwan, which Beijing defines as the most important issue in the bilateral relationship.
Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said on Friday that during Trump’s state visit to China from Wednesday to Friday, the Chinese side “feels during the meetings” that “the US side understands China’s position, values China’s concerns, and, like the international community, does not recognise or accept Taiwan independence”.
The statement came after Trump had left China.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday, Trump said he and Xi “talked a lot about Taiwan” during their formal and informal exchanges on Thursday and Friday.
“I think we’ll be fine,” Trump said. “He doesn’t want to see a war.”

Trump said Xi had opposed any moves towards independence that could trigger confrontation. The American leader also urged both sides across the Taiwan Strait to “cool down”, emphasising that the US was “not looking to have wars”.
During Thursday’s talks, Xi issued a stern warning of potential “clashes and even conflicts” with the US if the issue was mismanaged.
He described Taiwan as “the most important issue” in relations with Washington, emphasising that “Taiwan independence” and cross-strait peace were as irreconcilable as fire and water, according to the Chinese readout.
Xi also said that he and Trump had “agreed on a new vision of building a constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability”.
The White House readout of the two leaders’ formal talks on Thursday made no mention of the island, and the “strategic stability” formula that Beijing proposed.
David Sacks, a fellow for Asia studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, said at an event on Friday that Beijing may view Washington’s handling of Taiwan as “an essential ingredient for stability in US-China relations”.
According to Sacks, Beijing “wants to make clear that any stability or progress in the relationship in areas that President Trump cares about – from economics, to fentanyl or rare earths – will be linked to how he handles the Taiwan question.”
Beijing views Taiwan as part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to achieve unification. Most countries, including the United States, do not recognise Taiwan as an independent state, but Washington opposes any forceful change to the status quo and is legally committed to providing arms to the self-governing island.
Bonny Lin, senior adviser and director of the China Power Project at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, told a think tank panel on Friday that Beijing appeared to have tied the Taiwan issue to the “constructive strategic stability” framework.
“China takes Taiwan as the most important bilateral issue, and if it’s not handled well, whatever the two sides agree on … will be at risk,” Lin said.
Experts also said that Washington’s handling of Taiwan in the coming months, particularly whether it approves arms sales to the island, could affect a possible follow-up summit in September.
“The Chinese will message in the months between now and then that a US arms sale to Taiwan of US$14 billion or thereabouts would not be conducive to a reciprocal visit from Xi Jinping to the United States,” Sacks said.


The Trump administration approved a US$11 billion arms sales package at the end of last year, and US lawmakers approved a further US$14 billion package in January.
Trump had previously placed both deals on hold pending his summit with Xi.
“We discussed the Taiwan arms sales; I’ll be making decisions,” Trump said on Friday, without giving a timeline. “I may do it. I may not do it.”
When asked whether the US would defend Taiwan, Trump declined to answer directly. “I’m not going to say,” he said. “There’s only one person that knows that … It is me.”
In an interview with Fox News host Bret Baier in Beijing, Trump said: “I’m not looking to have somebody go independent, and we’re supposed to travel 9,500 miles (about 15,300km) to fight a war. I’m not looking for that.”
Bonnie Glaser, managing director of the Indo-Pacific programme at the German Marshall Fund, said that since the US has invited Xi to the White House in September, “the Chinese will press for no arms sales between now and then.”
Glaser said Beijing may be “satisfied that there was an opportunity for Xi to lay out China’s positions and concerns about Taiwan”.
She added that if Washington “sells arms to Taiwan or tightens restrictions on hi-tech sales to China”, Beijing would accuse Washington of violating their consensus.
–Additional reporting by Lucy Quaggin


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Beijing signals Taiwan will shape broader ties with Washington as Trump weighs future arms sales to the island


Beijing signals Taiwan will shape broader ties with Washington as Trump weighs future arms sales to the island.


Taiwan casts long shadow over Trump’s summit with Xi

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Beijing signals Taiwan will shape broader ties with Washington as Trump weighs future arms sales to the island

Beijing signals Taiwan will shape broader ties with Washington as Trump weighs future arms sales to the island