While conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East were expected to take center stage in the meeting between the two presidents on Thursday, Xi Jinping brought the topic of Taiwan to the forefront.
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/2026/05/14/6a05a52c3842f231167032.jpg "We explain why Taiwan remains a hotspot in the relationship between China and the United States, as Xi Jinping reminded Donald Trump.")
A strong statement. Xi Jinping warned Donald Trump about the Taiwan issue from the early moments of his visit to China on Thursday, May 14. “The Taiwan issue is the most important in Sino-American relations. If handled well, relations between the two countries can remain generally stable. If mishandled, the two countries will collide, or even enter into conflict,” said the Chinese president, using a word in Mandarin that does not necessarily mean military conflict.
After more conciliatory remarks about opening up his country’s economy to American companies, the Chinese president reminded that Taiwan’s future remains a major point of contention between the two countries. This is despite the proliferation of other conflicts, particularly in the Middle East. Franceinfo explains why the fate of this 24 million inhabitants’ island continues to fuel tensions between the two top world powers.
China increases military and diplomatic pressure on Taiwan
For several months, Beijing has been increasing military and diplomatic actions against this island located southeast of the country. China considers Taiwan as one of its provinces, which it has not been able to reunify with the rest of its territory since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949, during which the Chinese power overthrown by the communists found refuge on the island.
In its speeches, China advocates for a peaceful solution but reserves the possibility of using force to take control. This was reiterated during large-scale military exercises launched on December 29 and simulating a blockade of Taiwanese ports. These exercises involved “destroyers, frigates, fighters, bombers, and drones,” according to the Chinese command for the area. A demonstration of unprecedented force. “The noose is tightening,” said General Meng Xiangqing on Chinese television, quoted by the American newspaper The New York Times.
China also uses its diplomatic weight to isolate Taiwan from the rest of the world. In late April, the visit of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te to Eswatini – a small landlocked state in southern Africa and Taipei’s only diplomatic ally in Africa – was postponed. Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar had unexpectedly revoked their overflight permits “under intense pressure” from Beijing, according to the Taiwanese presidency.
China also targets armament and defense companies working with Taiwan. On April 24, Beijing announced restrictions on seven European companies accused of “collusion” with the Taiwanese authorities. They are now placed on the export control list with immediate effect, as announced by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce in a statement.
The US position on the issue is contested by Beijing
Could the Chinese president rally his American counterpart to his position on Taiwan? “The diplomatic goal is for the United States to recognize that Taiwan’s independence is inconceivable,” explains Camille Brugier, a specialist in Chinese commercial and technological policies and founder of the consulting company La Chiniste, to Franceinfo. Up to now, American policy on Taiwan has been based on military support for the island, without full recognition or open support for independence aspirations. Since 1982, one of the main principles of this strategy has been not to “consult” Beijing on arms sales to Taiwan. The island is also a trading partner for the United States, with which it signed a major trade agreement in January, benefiting especially from its status as a world leader in semiconductor production.
But the Chinese president wants to see this American policy evolve. Beijing regularly accuses Washington of not honoring its diplomatic commitments by continuing arms sales to Taiwan, offering support on the international stage, and not clearly opposing its independence. “China’s opposition to the US arms sales to the Chinese region of Taiwan is consistent and unequivocal,” said Guo Jiakun, a spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on a regular press briefing. Donald Trump had announced that he would discuss this issue with President Xi Jinping during his visit to Beijing.
US military support for Taiwan is fluctuating
The issue of American arms deliveries to Taiwan is central in Sino-American relations. However, since returning to the White House, Donald Trump has reduced military support for the island, as with other allies. His frequent changes of direction make his guiding line difficult to read for Taipei. In this context, Taiwanese diplomacy reiterated on Tuesday its desire to “strengthen cooperation” with the United States and to “develop effective deterrent capabilities to jointly maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.”
In late March, the United States once again called on Taiwan to increase its budget to ensure its own defense. “President Trump has called on his allies and partners to increase their defense spending to 5% of GDP to share with us the financial burden of maintaining peace,” said Raymond Greene, director of Taiwan Financial Institute, which de facto serves as an American embassy on the island. “Taiwan is no exception to this rule,” he said at an event at the American Chamber of Commerce.
After months of political wrangling, the Taiwanese parliament finally approved on May 8 a $25 billion increase in defense spending. This amount remains well below the approximately $40 billion budget proposed by the Taiwanese government, which still fears a Chinese invasion threat. “The authorities in Beijing are currently the sole risk to regional peace and stability,” insisted the Taiwanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement, on the first day of Donald Trump’s visit to China.
