China threatens to cancel Trump-Xi summit over Taiwan arms sales

Sep 14, 2026

Beijing is pressuring Washington to hold off on new weapons sales to Taiwan before this month's Trump-Xi meeting — a warning sign for Taiwan and for anyone hoping the summit calms US-China tensions.

  • China has told the US that Xi may cancel his Washington trip if any new Taiwan arms deal is approved first.
  • Taiwan's mainland affairs officials say the demand is no surprise — Beijing wants arms sales to Taiwan stopped permanently, not just delayed.
  • The US already approved an $11 billion package last December, and a second, larger one is still under review by Secretary of State Rubio.
  • Taiwan's own China policy agency says its travel budget was gutted by lawmakers, limiting face-to-face talks with US officials.

Outlook: Washington now has to choose between approving the next arms package and keeping the late-September summit on track.

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