Trump-Xi Talks Put Taiwan at Center as Decades-Old US Ambiguity Faces 1 Key Test
Updated
Updated · WBUR News · May 12
Trump-Xi Talks Put Taiwan at Center as Decades-Old US Ambiguity Faces 1 Key Test
1 articles · Updated · WBUR News · May 12
Taiwan is expected to be a main priority for Beijing in upcoming talks between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, putting U.S. policy toward the island under fresh scrutiny.
Decades-old U.S. strategic ambiguity is designed to do 2 things at once: deter China from attacking Taiwan and deter Taipei from taking steps that could provoke Beijing.
WBUR's Here & Now examined how Trump may handle that balance in a May 12 interview with Hoover Institution fellow Eyck Freymann, author of “Defending Taiwan: A Strategy to Prevent War with China.”
The discussion underscores how Taiwan remains a central flashpoint in U.S.-China relations as both sides head into high-level talks.
With Taiwan cutting its own defense funds, will Trump trade security commitments for a deal with Xi?
China plans a 'quarantine,' not an invasion. Does the U.S. have a response that avoids all-out war?
The 2026 Trump-Xi Summit: U.S. Policy Shifts, Chinese Pressure, and Taiwan’s Precarious Future
Overview
The Trump-Xi summit in Beijing in May 2026 comes at a time of global instability, with a US-led war against Iran and ongoing US-China trade tensions. China enters the talks in a strong position, benefiting from the global shift away from fossil fuels and a boom in exports of green technology. At the center of the summit is the contentious issue of Taiwan, with President Xi pressing for a tougher US stance against Taiwanese independence. Delays in US arms sales to Taiwan and China’s assertive military actions have increased anxiety in Taipei, while the outcomes of the summit could reshape regional stability and future US-China relations.