Trump weighs Taiwan arms package after summit aimed at steadying
US-China ties
[May 16, 2026]
By AAMER MADHANI, WILL WEISSERT and SIMINA MISTREANU
BEIJING (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that he has not
made a decision on whether to move forward with a major arms package for
Taiwan after hearing concerns about it from Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Trump's comments on Taiwan — a self-ruled island that China claims as
its own territory — came as he flew back to Washington after wrapping up
critical talks in which both leaders said important progress was made in
stabilizing U.S.-China relations even as deep differences persist
between the world’s two biggest powers on Iran and Taiwan.
“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.”
Trump’s Republican administration in December authorized a
record-setting $11 billion weapons package for Taipei, but it has yet to
move forward. Lawmakers also approved a $14 billion arms sale to Taiwan
in January, but the sale cannot advance until Trump formally sends it to
Congress. China opposes such sales and has suggested that Washington’s
relationship with the self-governing island is the key factor in
U.S.-China relations.
Trump said Xi also reiterated China's strong opposition to Taiwan’s
independence. “I heard him out,” Trump said. “I didn’t make a comment.”
Trump's consultation with Xi about arms sales to Taiwan may violate the
so-called Six Assurances, a set of nonbinding U.S. policy principles
formulated in 1982 under President Ronald Reagan that have helped guide
the U.S. relationship with Taipei, according to analysts.
The second of the Six Assurances states that the U.S. “did not agree to
consult with the People’s Republic of China on arms sales to Taiwan.”
Trump said the issue of the 1982 assurances came up in the talks with
Xi.
Trump says Xi is ‘very positive’ about a potential nuclear deal
Trump also said he raised a potential three-way nuclear deal that would
involve the U.S., Russia and China. He wants each of the three countries
to sign a pact that would cap the number of nuclear warheads in their
arsenals. China has previously been cool to entering such a pact.
Beijing’s arsenal, according to Pentagon estimates, exceeds 600 warheads
and is far from parity with the U.S. and Russia, which are each
estimated to have more than 5,000 warheads. But Trump suggested Xi was
receptive to the idea.
“I got a very a positive response,” Trump said. “This is the beginning.”
The last nuclear arms pact, known as the New START treaty, between
Russia and the United States expired in February, removing any caps on
the two largest atomic arsenals for the first time in more than a
half-century. As the treaty was set to expire, Trump rejected a call by
Russia to extend the two-country deal for another year and called for “a
new, improved and modernized” deal that includes China.
The Pentagon estimates China will have more than 1,000 nuclear warheads
by 2030.
Trump was impressed by Chinese presidential residence
Xi welcomed Trump at his official residence, Zhongnanhai, on Friday for
their final engagement of the summit before the U.S. leader’s return to
Washington. The leaders took a short walk through the grounds that
feature ancient trees and Chinese roses, and they strolled through a
covered passageway with green columns and archways painted with birds
and traditional Chinese mountain scenes.
Over tea and lunch, Trump and Xi — with top aides and translators in tow
— huddled for nearly three hours of talks before the U.S. leader
completed his three-day visit to China.
Trump appeared impressed by the bucolic grounds, remarking that the
roses were the most beautiful he had ever seen. Xi promised to send him
some rose seeds.
“It’s been really a great couple of days,” Trump told reporters.
Xi, for his part, called it a “milestone” visit. “We have established a
new bilateral relationship, or rather a constructive, strategic, stable
relationship,” he said.
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U.S. President Donald Trump, left, speaks as he is greeted by
Chinese President Xi Jinping at Zhongnanhai Garden in Beijing,
China, Friday, May 15, 2026. (Evan Vucci/Pool Photo via AP)
But the optimistic outlook collides with some difficult truths about
the thorniest issues between the two superpowers.
Beijing has shown little public interest in U.S. entreaties to get
more involved in solving the conflict in Iran, even though Trump
said in an interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity that Xi had in
their conversations offered to help.
In recent weeks, the U.S. State Department has accused Chinese firms
of providing satellite imagery to the Iranian government, and the
Treasury Department has moved to target Chinese oil refineries
accused of buying oil from Tehran, as well as shippers of the oil.
Xi on Thursday warned Trump during private talks that their
differences on Taiwan, if handled poorly, could hurtle the world's
dominant powers toward “clashes and even conflicts,” according to
Chinese government officials.
But Trump, as he made his way home, said he was not concerned that
the U.S.-China relationship was in danger. “I think we will be
fine," he said.
Taiwan remains the most important issue for China
Xi's sharp language on Taiwan loomed large over the visit, with
Chinese government officials amplifying his view that differences on
the island pose the biggest risk to U.S.-Chinese relations.
But Secretary of State Marco Rubio told NBC News that U.S. policy
toward Taiwan was “unchanged” and cautioned that it would be “a
terrible mistake” for China to try to take Taiwan by force. He also
framed Xi's comments as standard practice.
“They always raise it on their side. We always make clear our
position, and we move on to the other topics,” said Rubio, who was
among senior aides to join Trump for the talks.
Some Republicans in Congress expressed displeasure at Trump's
pronouncement that he has not decided whether to move forward with
the arms package for Taiwan.
“We have to support Taiwan, just like we have to support Ukraine,”
said Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, a Pennsylvania Republican. “These are
the fortresses of democracy, and they’re on the front lines, and we
have to protect and defend them.”
Republican Rep. Michael McCaul said he was not surprised that Xi
came out with an aggressive posture on Taiwan.
“We’ve got to arm Taiwan so they can defend themselves for
deterrence,” McCaul said.
China wants the Strait of Hormuz opened
Trump said he and Xi also spoke at length about Iran.
The leaders agreed that the critical Strait of Hormuz — effectively
closed since the start of the Iran conflict — needs to be reopened
to support global energy demands. About 20% of the world’s oil
flowed through the strait before the war started on Feb. 28.
“We feel very similar about (how) we want it to end,” the president
said. “We don’t want them to have a nuclear weapon.”
White House officials said Xi was also opposed to any implementation
of tolls on vessels crossing the strait and expressed interest in
China potentially purchasing U.S. oil to reduce Chinese dependence
on Gulf oil in the future.
Trump earlier this week downplayed the importance of talks with Xi
on the 11-week-old Iran war that has led to surging energy prices
and threatens to plunge the global economy into recession if the
conflict does not conclude soon.
___
Mistreanu reported from Bangkok. Associated Press writers Huizhong
Wu in Bangkok and Darlene Superville, Stephen Groves and Josh Boak
in Washington contributed to this report.
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