China Demands Taiwan Waiver For Trump Summit
Trump wants to visit China - but Beijing is demanding a clear US commitment to Taiwan policy in advance. The summit hangs on a red line that Trump has so far refused to cross.
The Taiwan issue is becoming the biggest hurdle for Trump's planned visit to China in the fall. Apparently, there are concrete plans between the Trump administration and representatives of China for a visit by President Donald Trump in the fall of 2025. Since taking office on January 20, Trump has repeatedly expressed interest in traveling to China to improve strained relations with Beijing. Trade disputes and geopolitical tensions, particularly around Taiwan, are at the heart of this. However, reports on the current status of the plans remain contradictory. While some sources claim that Trump has already accepted an invitation from President Xi Jinping, others merely speak of a planned trip without a firm commitment. At the beginning of June 2025, Xi invited Trump to Beijing, as The Guardian reported. However, China is now attaching conditions to the summit meeting, mainly concerning the Taiwan issue.
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Trump's China plans take concrete shape
The idea of a visit to China emerged early on in Trump's second term. Shortly before he was sworn in, Trump told his advisors that he wanted to travel to China during his first 100 days in office. The aim was to ease relations, which had been strained by his announcement of high tariffs. A 90-minute phone call between Trump and Xi followed in early June, during which the invitation to Beijing was extended. Trump described the conversation as "very good" and mentioned that he and the First Lady had been invited to visit China, which he reciprocated, During a flight, Trump confirmed to journalists his plans for a trip to China, possibly in connection with a Chinese military parade in September.
China apparently wants to speed up preparations for a summit to stabilize bilateral relations. The trade talks in London and Geneva were probably also used to push the meeting forward.
China's condition: Concessions on Taiwan
As plans for a summit meeting become more concrete, China is now setting conditions. Beijing is demanding a clear statement from the US that it does not support Taiwan's formal independence. A senior Chinese official emphasized that a meeting between Trump and Xi depends on such concessions. An advisor to the Chinese Foreign Ministry emphasized the urgency of face-to-face meetings between the two countries' national security teams to resolve the Taiwan issue. This demand is not a new issue. Back in April, China demanded that talks be held on Taiwan and sanctions and that Trump show respect for the Chinese demand.
Trump has repeatedly taken a hard line against China on Taiwan. Trump is even said to have vowed to prevent a Chinese invasion of Taiwan during his time in office.
"One China" principle as a point of contention
Trump's hard line on Taiwan is at odds with China's demands. The Taiwan Relations Act has governed relations between the USA and Taiwan since 1979. The Act obliges the USA to supply Taiwan with defensive weapons and to regard any threat of violence as a serious danger to the region. Trump has emphasized this commitment during his first term in office through extensive arms deliveries and visits by high-ranking US officials to Taipei. His recent statement to prevent a Chinese invasion of Taiwan shows that he is sticking to this position. At the same time, China is demanding that the US strictly respect the "one China" principle and cease any support for Taiwan's independence. Beijing sees the US arms deliveries as a provocation and expects Trump to make a clear statement against Taiwan's formal independence.
China and the US have fundamentally different interpretations of the "one China" principle. For Beijing, it means that Taiwan is an inalienable part of the People's Republic of China and that any form of independence or international recognition of Taiwan is inadmissible. The USA, on the other hand, has recognized the People's Republic as the only legitimate government of China since 1979, which does not mean that the USA considers Taiwan to be part of the People's Republic. This "strategic ambiguity" allows the US to support Taiwan with arms and promote its self-defense without endorsing formal independence. This discrepancy leads to constant tensions, as China sees US support for Taiwan as contradictory to its view of the principle.
These opposing positions make a summit meeting difficult. A concession by Trump would contradict the Taiwan Relations Act and be interpreted domestically as weakness. In the US, support for Taiwan enjoys broad support among both Republicans and Democrats. However, relations between the US and Taiwan have deteriorated as a result of Trump's reciprocal tariffs. Taiwan's Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim described economic relations with the USA as strained, as tariffs make trade cooperation more difficult.
Tariffs and sanctions weigh on China talks
In addition to the Taiwan issue, trade disputes are shaping relations between the USA and China. Negotiations in London and Geneva have made progress, but the details of a possible agreement in London remain unclear and have not been made public. China is publicly opposing US plans to impose punitive tariffs on transshipments via Vietnam, as these circumvention tactics undermine the high US tariffs on Chinese goods. Trump is also threatening to impose additional 10% tariffs on all countries that belong to or are part of the BRICS alliance, which China sees as a direct provocation. Beijing is likely to counter this. A summit meeting would offer the opportunity to defuse these conflicts, but expectations of concrete results remain cautious.
Between claiming power and flirting with autocracy
OutlookThe preparations for Trump's possible visit to China illustrate his contradictory stance. On the one hand, he shows sympathy for strong, authoritarian regimes such as China or Russia. Beijing is enticing him with a large military parade planned to mark the founding day of the People's Republic, after Trump's own birthday parade in the US was a failure. At the time, massive counter-protests and the obvious rejection of the US military, which did not show a disciplined parade, characterized the picture.
On the other hand, Trump portrays China as an enemy that must be fought. His tariff policy is aimed at weakening China's economy, for example through punitive tariffs on transhipments or the threat of 10% tariffs against BRICS countries. The situation is similar with Taiwan: Trump supports the island with arms supplies and military training, but burdens it economically with reciprocal tariffs. A visit by Trump would be a domestic political triumph for China. Xi Jinping could present the US president as a symbol of Western recognition ahead of the founding day.