Following mid-May bilateral talks in Beijing, U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping locked in stability for bilateral ties. Trump weighed a potential three-way nuclear pact and a Taiwan arms package, while bilateral friction persists over rare-earth export controls and an extended war with Iran.
The meeting kept a lid on simmering tensions before they could boil over, halting the deterioration in bilateral ties that had persisted since the first leaders’ meeting under the second Trump administration in Busan, South Korea, in 2025.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth spoke at the Shangri-La Dialogue security forum, describing bilateral ties as better than they have been in many years and suggesting the diplomatic guardrails will hold firm. China carefully laid its groundwork for the summit, seeking strategic gains on the Taiwan issue during Trump’s remaining term of less than three years, while Xi enjoys unlimited tenure after presidential term limits were scrapped.
Arms Sales to Taiwan and the 1982 Six Assurances
President Trump stated that he has not made a final decision on whether to move forward with a major arms package for Taiwan after hearing concerns directly from President Xi Jinping Apnews. Those comments came as Trump flew back to Washington after completing his three-day visit to China, which included nearly three hours of talks over tea and lunch at Xi’s official residence in the Zhongnanhai leadership compound.
“I’ll be making decisions,” Trump said. “But, you know, I think the last thing we need right now is a war that’s 9,500 miles away.”
Donald Trump arrives in Beijing for summit with China President Xi Jinping
President Donald Trump, via AP News
Trump’s Republican administration authorized a record-setting $11 billion weapons package for Taipei in December, though it has yet to move forward. Lawmakers also approved a $14 billion arms sale to Taiwan in January, but that sale cannot advance until Trump formally sends it to Congress. China fiercely opposes such sales, viewing Washington’s relationship with the self-governing island as a central friction point. Trump noted that Xi reiterated China’s strong opposition to Taiwan’s independence, saying, I heard him out, and adding, I didn’t make a comment.
Analysts note that consulting with Xi about arms sales to Taiwan may violate the Six Assurances, a set of nonbinding U.S. policy principles formulated in 1982 under President Ronald Reagan. The second assurance states that the U.S. did not agree to consult with Beijing on arms sales to Taiwan. Trump confirmed that the 1982 assurances came up during his discussions with Xi.
Beyond regional security, Trump raised the possibility of a three-way nuclear agreement involving the United States, Russia, and China aimed at capping the number of warheads in each nation’s arsenal. Trump reported a positive reception from Beijing regarding the proposal, noting that this is the beginning of a potential diplomatic framework.
Photo: Kyodonews
The push for a tripartite agreement follows the expiration of the New START treaty between Russia and the United States in February, which removed caps on the world’s two largest atomic arsenals for the first time in over half a century. Trump rejected a Russian call to extend that bilateral pact for another year, demanding a modernized deal that includes China. Pentagon estimates place Beijing’s current arsenal at more than 600 warheads—projected to exceed 1,000 by 2030—while the U.S. and Russia each maintain more than 5,000 warheads.
China’s leverage has grown significantly through tightening restrictions on rare-earth exports to the United States.
Photo: Apnews
China has coined the phrase a constructive relationship of strategic stability to describe its objective of preserving stable ties with Washington over the next three years. With Trump constitutionally limited to his current term and Xi holding indefinite tenure following the removal of presidential term limits, Beijing appears focused on managing bilateral friction while securing long-term strategic advantages.
