Trump Tells Fox He Has Not Decided Taiwan Arms Sales After Xi Summit

President Donald Trump’s 43 hours in Beijing with Chinese President Xi Jinping produced “no major breakthroughs and few agreements,” while both sides avoided “any blunders,” leaving the relationship on “a more stable footing” in a bilateral context described by The Washington Post.

NBC News reported that Trump said he had not yet decided whether to proceed with arms sales to Taiwan and told Fox News, “We’re supposed to travel 9,500 miles to fight a war. I’m not looking for that,” as he added he wants both sides to “cool down.”

Al Jazeera

NBC News also quoted Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te saying that “only the Taiwanese people can decide their future,” and it said Xi called Taiwan “the most important issue in China-U.S. relations” during the summit.

The Washington Post framed the summit as projecting stability while “conceded nothing” to Trump, even as it left “frictionless” optics alongside unresolved disputes.

In the same NBC News coverage, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told “Meet the Press” that it was for Trump “to decide whether arms sales should continue,” while warning, “if you give an inch” to China on Taiwan, “I think they’ll take a mile.”

NBC News said Xi warned that if Taiwan is not handled properly, the two sides could face “clashes and even conflicts,” and it reported that Taiwan’s foreign ministry insisted Taiwan “is a sovereign and independent democratic nation, and is not subordinate to the People’s Republic of China.”

In a separate framing, Fox News argued that Xi’s warning was the “clearest signal” and quoted the Chinese foreign ministry readout that mishandling Taiwan could lead to “clashes and even conflicts, putting the entire relationship in great jeopardy.”

Atlantic Council

NBC News reported that Trump said Friday he was “not looking to have somebody go independent” when asked whether the U.S. would come to Taiwan’s rescue in the event of a Chinese invasion.

Fox News also highlighted that Xi asked publicly whether the United States and China could “overcome the Thucydides Trap and establish a new paradigm for relations between great powers,” tying the summit’s language to the Taiwan question.

NBC News added that Taiwan’s presidential office spokesperson Karen Kuo said the office had received “multiple reaffirmations” from the U.S., including from Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, that the “consistent U.S. policy and position toward Taiwan remain unchanged.”

NBC News reported that Trump said he would need to speak with Lai before making a final decision on a proposed $14 billion arms package to Taiwan, while administration officials said U.S. policy on Taiwan is not expected to change.

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The Washington Post described the summit as bringing China closer to “a more stable footing” in its “most important — and often volatile — bilateral relationship,” even as it noted the absence of “major breakthroughs” and “few agreements.”

Fox News warned that a Chinese seizure of Taiwan would “shatter American credibility with every ally from Tokyo to Manila,” and it tied that risk to the Taiwan Relations Act’s commitment to provide Taiwan the means to defend itself.

NBC News also reported that Graham encouraged Trump “to make Taiwan strong so we can deter aggression,” and it said he warned the U.S. should approve a package of “tariffs and sanctions” against China if an invasion occurs.

Finally, NBC News said Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung thanked the U.S. for repeatedly expressing support for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, according to Taiwan’s government-funded Central News Agency, as the summit’s immediate diplomatic tone collided with the Taiwan-centered warnings.