Xi urges caution on Taiwan arms sales in call with Trump phone

Chinese President Xi Jinping held a phone call with US President Donald Trump on Wednesday, placing Taiwan arms sales and the future of China-US relations at the center of the discussion. Xi emphasized that Taiwan remains the most sensitive and decisive issue between Beijing and Washington, urging restraint as tensions continue to shape the Indo-Pacific security landscape.

China-US dialogue

Speaking through China’s Foreign Ministry, Xi said both leaders should work together to guide bilateral relations through periods of uncertainty and competition. He argued that steady communication, gradual confidence-building, and practical cooperation could help the world’s two largest economies move toward what he described as “mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation” in 2026.

Taiwan and arms sales

Xi underlined that China considers Taiwan an inseparable part of its territory and vowed to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity. He specifically called on the US to approach weapons transfers to Taiwan with caution, following Washington’s recent approval of a record one-time arms package exceeding $11 billion for Taipei.

Broader geopolitical context

The call came shortly after Xi’s virtual meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, reflecting Beijing’s active diplomacy on multiple fronts. While China-Russia trade has expanded to around $200 billion annually, Beijing and Washington have recently sought to stabilize ties after a leaders’ meeting in South Korea. For Türkiye, which maintains strategic dialogue with both China and the US, developments in cross-strait tensions and great-power relations carry direct implications for regional security and global trade routes.