Chinese leader Xi Jinping warned U.S. President Donald Trump to act with prudence on arms sales to Taiwan during a wide-ranging phone call that underscored the island’s growing centrality in U.S.-China relations.
The conversation, described by Trump as “excellent” and “long and thorough,” covered trade, global security issues, and bilateral ties, but placed particular emphasis on Taiwan, which Xi called the most important issue between the two countries.
The call came as Washington and Beijing seek to stabilize relations ahead of a planned Trump visit to China in April, following months of diplomatic engagement between China and Western leaders.
According to Chinese state media, Xi reiterated that Taiwan is “China’s territory” and said Beijing must safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
He cautioned that “The United States must handle the issue of arms sales to Taiwan with prudence,” warning that continued weapons transfers risk intensifying tensions across the Taiwan Strait.
The warning follows a U.S. announcement in December of an arms package worth more than $11 billion for Taiwan, including missiles, rocket launchers, and artillery systems.
Beijing said at the time that the sale would “accelerate the push towards a dangerous and violent situation.”
The United States, while maintaining formal diplomatic relations with Beijing, remains Taiwan’s most significant security partner and largest arms supplier.
Trump said the leaders also discussed Russia’s war in Ukraine, the situation in Iran, and potential Chinese purchases of U.S. oil, gas, and agricultural products, including soybeans.
He wrote that the relationship with China and his personal ties with Xi were “extremely good,” emphasizing the importance of maintaining stability.
In Taiwan, President Lai Ching-te sought to project continuity, telling reporters that “Taiwan–U.S. relations are rock-solid and our various cooperation projects will continue without change.”
Analysts noted that Taiwan, which had receded from the forefront of U.S.-China discussions in recent months, is re-emerging as a focal point.
The renewed emphasis suggests that Taiwan will feature prominently in upcoming high-level engagements, even as both sides stress dialogue to manage differences.