Taiwan's politics are splitting over whether Washington is quietly trading away the island's security, and the doubt itself is bad news for Taipei's confidence in US backing.

• Taichung mayor Lu Shiu-yen told the city council that the real substance of the Trump–Xi meeting happened privately, out of public view.
• Her main claim: the US ambassador to China said Trump offered to sell American weapons to Xi Jinping.
• Trump had already knocked that down the day before, asking whether reporters meant Taiwan and saying he had never heard of any such offer.
• She also pointed to Secretary of State Rubio saying the US is stretched by its own war needs and cannot supply Taiwan with enough weapons.
• The mix of an ambassador's account and a presidential denial leaves Taiwan guessing about what was actually agreed.

Outlook: Expect Taiwan's opposition to keep pressing the "secret deal" line while Washington repeats that nothing was promised to Beijing.