Taiwan watches Xi-Trump meeting closely, hopes US arms sales continue

As China's Xi Jinping arrives in Washington to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump, Taiwan expressed confidence that U.S. arms sales to the island that Beijing claims as its own will continue -- despite China's pressure.

China has pressed Washington to halt the arms sales, most prominently during a summit in May between Mr. Trump and Mr. Xi in Beijing. After that meeting, the United States paused the sale of a record-breaking $14 billion package -- and Mr. Trump described arms sales to Taiwan as a “very good negotiating chip” with China.

Still, the U.S. government and Congress have “repeatedly expressed support for Taiwan's self-defence capabilities,” Taiwanese Defence Ministry spokesperson Maj. Gen. Chiao Fu-chun told reporters in the southern city of Tainan.