President Donald Trump did not commit to arms sales during his visit to China.
A year ago, U.S.-China relations reached one of their lowest points when President Donald Trump announced tariffs on “Emancipation Day.”
The U.S. president made some concessions when he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping a few months later.
And in the lead-up to President Trump’s visit to Beijing this week, the White House made further concessions.
China has suspended $14 billion worth of arms sales to Taiwan, which it claims as sovereign territory.
But that didn’t stop Xi from calling Taiwan the “single most important issue” in relations with the United States.
Could a dispute over territory lead to a conflict between China and Washington?
Presenter: Mohamed Jamjoom
guest:
Ali Wyne – Senior Research and Advocacy Advisor, U.S.-China Relations, International Crisis Group
Victor Gao – Deputy Director of China Globalization Center
Wen-Ti Sung – Atlantic Council Global China Hub, Non-Resident Fellow
Published May 15, 2026
