3 months ago
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U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday (February 16, 2026) helium would determine soon connected whether to nonstop much weapons to Taiwan, aft Chinese President Xi Jinping warned him not to bash so.
"I'm talking to him astir it. We had a bully conversation, and we'll marque a determination beauteous soon," Mr. Trump said, adding that helium has a "good relationship" with the Chinese leader, whose state claims the self-ruled land of Taiwan arsenic its territory.
In a telephone telephone with Mr. Trump connected February 4, Mr. Xi called for "mutual respect" successful relations with the United States, portion informing Washington astir arms income to the democratically tally island.
"The Taiwan question is the astir important contented successful China-US relations... The US indispensable grip arms income to Taiwan with caution," Mr. Xi said, according to China's authorities broadcaster.
Both the leaders are owed to conscionable successful Beijing successful April.
China's Communist Party has ne'er ruled Taiwan, but Beijing claims the land of 23 cardinal radical is portion of its territory and has not ruled retired the usage of unit to annex it.
Washington does not officially admit Taiwan, but is the land territory's main subject backer — though the code of that enactment has softened somewhat nether Mr. Trump.
The United States approved $11-billion worthy of arms to Taiwan successful December, Taipei said.
Shortly thereafter, China launched large live-fire drills to simulate a blockade astir Taiwan's cardinal ports.
While Mr. Trump has adopted a softer code connected enactment for Taiwan successful his 2nd term, the contented remains a thorn successful U.S.-China relations.
On Saturday (February 14, 2026), Beijing's apical diplomat Wang Yi warned the United States against "plotting" connected Taiwan, saying it could pb to a "confrontation" with China.
Speaking astatine the Munich Security Conference successful Germany, Foreign Minister Wang said that successful the future, the United States could follow a China argumentation that involves "instigating and plotting to divided China done Taiwan, crossing China's reddish line."
Taiwan has spent galore billions of dollars upgrading its subject successful the past decade, but faces increasing U.S. unit to bash much to support itself against China.
Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te has projected $40 cardinal successful other defence spending by his authorities implicit 8 years, but the program has been blocked by the opposition-controlled parliament 10 times since aboriginal December.
Last week, dozens of U.S. lawmakers urged Taiwan's Opposition governmental parties to extremity their blocking of the move.
In an exclusive interrogation with AFP last week, President Lai said helium was assured the defence fund would beryllium passed.
