Xi presses Trump to take the next step on Taiwan: oppose independence

Chinese President Xi Jinping pressed his US counterpart Donald Trump to explicitly oppose Taiwan independence – a call that would require a shift in Washington’s long-standing position and further restraint on American arms sales to the island, according to analysts.

During the meeting between the two leaders on Thursday, Xi said he hoped the US side would “adhere to the correct position of opposing ‘Taiwan independence’”, according to a statement from the foreign ministry in Beijing.

The wording marked another push by Beijing for Washington to adopt an explicit and tougher political position against Taiwan independence, going beyond its traditional formulation of “not supporting” independence – a notable distinction given the high stakes in cross-strait relations.

The White House did not immediately release details of its own account of the exchange.