China on Tuesday described Taiwan as a “red line” ahead of President Xi Jinping’s visit to Washington for a summit with US President Donald Trump. Xi is scheduled to meet Trump on Thursday during his three-day US visit. It will be their second meeting this year after their earlier talks in May.
China’s Foreign Ministry said on Monday that the meeting, coming within six months of their previous talks, has “milestone of historic significance”.
Taiwan Arms Deal In Focus
Taiwan is expected to be one of the key issues during the Xi-Trump meeting.
According to Reuters, Xi is expected to press Trump to halt US arms sales to Taiwan, citing a 1982 joint statement between Washington and Beijing.
A proposed US arms package worth around $14 billion for Taiwan is also in focus. Trump has not yet approved the package. China opposes US military support for Taiwan and wants Washington to scale back its support for Taipei.
China considers Taiwan part of its territory and has repeatedly called US arms sales to the island a major issue in bilateral ties. Taiwan’s government rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims.
China Calls Taiwan A ‘Red Line’
The ruling Communist Party’s mouthpiece, People’s Daily, highlighted the Taiwan issue on Tuesday.
The newspaper described Taiwan as a “red line” for Beijing and called it a guardrail and safety net for China-US relations, the South China Morning Post reported.
“Managing ‘Taiwan independence’ is a key part of building constructive strategic stability between China and the US,” the People’s Daily said in a front-page article, according to the report.
“The US side must handle the Taiwan question with the utmost caution and take concrete action to safeguard the stable development of China-US relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,” it warned.
Japan Also In Focus
China is also closely watching Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s meeting with Trump on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Japanese officials said Takaichi is expected to highlight the strength of the US-Japan alliance and the need to maintain a strong position on Taiwan, according to Kyodo.
The talks come as Japan seeks closer coordination with Washington on China ahead of Trump’s meeting with Xi.
According to the Japan Times, Japanese officials say Takaichi will also stress the need to strengthen deterrence against what Tokyo describes as Chinese military and economic coercion.
Tensions between China and Japan increased last November after Takaichi said in parliament that a Taiwan contingency could be a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan and could lead to action by Japanese defence forces in support of the US.
Her remarks angered Beijing, which considers Taiwan part of its territory. Relations between China and Japan have remained tense since then.
China Signals Focus On ‘Strategic Stability’
Ahead of Xi’s visit, Chaoyang Shaoxia, a social-media channel widely believed to be affiliated with the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said the visit was aimed at “keeping the positive momentum going”.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry, its embassies and ambassadors also shared videos in Chinese and English on social media, saying that “from Beijing to Washington DC, the China-US relationship must stay on course towards constructive strategic stability”.
Asked about the videos, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said at a media briefing on Tuesday:
“China is ready to work with the US to enrich the China-US constructive relationship of strategic stability, enhance dialogue and cooperation, and properly manage differences to contribute to the well-being of both peoples and to a peaceful, stable and prosperous world”.
China Tightens Fentanyl Precursor Controls
China also announced tighter controls on the export of chemicals that can be used to make fentanyl, responding to a long-standing demand from Trump.
Chinese anti-narcotics authorities warned companies and individuals to prevent two chemicals, medetomidine and tartaric acid, from being diverted into illegal drug production.
The China National Narcotics Control Commission said the move was part of Beijing’s efforts to prevent chemicals with possible uses in illicit drug production from entering illegal channels, state-run Xinhua reported.
Trump has repeatedly pressured China to restrict chemicals and equipment used to manufacture fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid linked to the drug crisis in the US.
With Taiwan, trade, fentanyl and other issues on the agenda, the Xi-Trump summit is expected to be closely watched for signs of how the two countries manage their differences while trying to maintain what Beijing calls “constructive strategic stability”.