Beijing, Sep 13 (V7N)- China has warned the United States that a planned meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping could be cancelled if Washington approves new arms sales to Taiwan, according to sources familiar with the matter cited by Japan’s Kyodo News.

The meeting is scheduled to take place at the White House on September 24 and would mark the third face-to-face meeting between Trump and Xi within a year.

However, the Taiwan issue has created fresh tensions ahead of the proposed summit. According to the sources, Beijing has told Washington that Taiwan remains a “red line” in bilateral relations.

China has reportedly made clear that approval of any new arms package for Taiwan could prompt Beijing to cancel the September meeting.

Trump is attaching considerable importance to the meeting with Xi ahead of the US midterm elections in November. With his public support reportedly declining, a successful meeting with the Chinese president could provide a political boost. A last-minute cancellation could therefore prove embarrassing for the Trump administration.

China considers Taiwan part of its territory, while the United States has long supplied weapons to the self-governing island to strengthen its defense capabilities.

In December last year, the Trump administration announced an arms sales package for Taiwan worth approximately $11 billion, prompting strong criticism from Beijing. In May this year, Washington said another proposed package worth around $14 billion had been temporarily suspended to preserve US weapons stocks amid the potential conflict with Iran.

Chinese sources have maintained that approval of a new arms package could lead to the cancellation of the Xi-Trump meeting.

Meanwhile, China has continued to increase military activity around the Taiwan Strait. In July, Beijing conducted an intercontinental ballistic missile test over the Pacific Ocean, reportedly the first such test since 2024, raising further concerns about the possibility of a conflict over Taiwan.

Xi had previously told Trump that Taiwan was the “most important issue” in the bilateral relationship and warned that mishandling the matter could lead to conflict.

Despite the growing tensions, both Beijing and Washington are keen to prevent the Taiwan issue from derailing ongoing trade negotiations. During a visit to Beijing in May, Trump reportedly described US arms sales to Taiwan as a potential “very good bargaining chip” in negotiations with China.

The United States severed formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan in 1979 after establishing relations with Beijing. Under the Taiwan Relations Act, passed by Congress that year, Washington has continued to provide weapons to Taiwan to help it maintain adequate self-defense capabilities.

At the same time, reports suggest growing doubts among people in Taiwan about the extent of US commitment to defending the island during a potential second Trump term.

The six-month-long conflict involving Iran is also expected to feature in discussions between Xi and Trump. The conflict has added to tensions between Beijing and Washington, while China, as Iran’s largest trading partner, could face consequences from US sanctions targeting businesses associated with Tehran.

On Friday, US officials told The Wall Street Journal that Iran had used Chinese-supplied satellite imagery in a July attack that killed three US soldiers. The officials described the alleged use of the imagery as the clearest evidence yet that China’s cooperation with Iran had contributed to lethal consequences during the conflict.

Beijing has repeatedly denied allegations that it provides high-resolution satellite imagery to Iran.

China has yet to officially announce Xi Jinping’s planned visit to the United States.

END/SMA/AJ