China’s leader Xi Jinping told US President Donald Trump during their recent phone call that the United States needs to be “prudent” when it comes to supplying weapons to Taiwan, as reported by the BBC. This is serious business, considering Xi called the self-governed island “the most important issue” currently impacting relations between Washington and Beijing.
Xi made it clear that China views Taiwan as its own territory and stated that Beijing “must safeguard [Taiwan’s] sovereignty and territorial integrity.” He delivered a direct warning, saying, “The United States must handle the issue of arms sales to Taiwan with prudence.”
This stern message comes just a few months after the Trump administration announced a massive arms package for Taiwan back in December. That deal was worth about $11 billion and included a whole arsenal of advanced hardware, like self-propelled howitzers, advanced rocket launchers, and a variety of missiles.
At the time of that sale, Beijing had already expressed some serious frustration
They argued that the US was attempting to support Taiwan’s independence, which would only “accelerate the push towards a dangerous and violent situation across the Taiwan Strait.” The US has walked a tight diplomatic rope for decades, maintaining formal ties with Beijing while remaining Taiwan’s most powerful ally and biggest arms supplier.
Despite the intensity of the Taiwan discussion, President Trump was quick to offer a positive readout of the call, describing Wednesday’s conversation as “excellent” and noting it was “long and thorough.” The president took to Truth Social to emphasize his strong bond with his counterpart. He wrote that the relationship with China, along with his “personal relationship with President Xi, is an extremely good one, and we both realize how important it is to keep it that way.”
It definitely seems like economics are helping grease the diplomatic wheels, too. President Trump said that Beijing is considering purchasing a huge amount of US soybeans. They might bump their current purchase of 12 million tonnes up to 20 million tonnes, which is a significant increase for American farmers. The leaders also discussed China’s purchase of US oil and gas, showing that trade remains a crucial pillar of the relationship.
The conversation covered a wide range of global flashpoints beyond trade and Taiwan, including the current situation in Iran and Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. Xi stressed that while the United States certainly has its own concerns regarding China, “China for its part also has concerns.” He seemed to offer a path forward for cooperation, adding that if both sides work together in the spirit of “equality, respect and mutual benefit, we can surely find ways to address each other’s concerns.”
President Trump is clearly invested in maintaining this diplomatic momentum. He is due to visit China in April, a trip he said he “very much” looks forward to. This visit follows a flurry of Western leaders, including UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who have recently visited China in an effort to reset relations with the world’s second-largest economy.
Meanwhile, Taiwan’s leader, Lai Ching-te, isn’t sweating the warning too much. He told reporters on Thursday that the island’s relationship with the US remains “rock solid” and that “all ongoing co-operation projects are continuing.” It looks like the US plans to keep that arms pipeline flowing, regardless of Beijing’s cautious tone.
Published: Feb 5, 2026 02:30 pm