Donald Trump goes to China for talks with Xi Jinping on Taiwan. Which leaders are accompanying him on the official visit
US President Donald Trump said on Monday that he will talk to Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing this week about arms sales to Taiwan and the case of jailed media magnate Jimmy Lai.
Trump is going to China this week PHOTO Profimedia
“I will have this discussion with President Xi”Trump told reporters at the White House when asked about Washington's longstanding support for Taiwan's defense, according to Reuters. “President Xi would like us not to do that and we will have this discussion. It is one of the many topics I will talk about.”
China considers the democratically governed island part of its territory, a position rejected by Taiwan. Washington follows politics “one China”recognizing Beijing's position, but without taking an official position on Taiwan's sovereignty.
The United States is Taiwan's largest international supporter and has a legal obligation to contribute to the island's defense.
Arms transfers have long been a source of tension in US-China relations. In December, Trump announced the largest arms package ever given to Taiwan by the US, worth more than $11 billion.
In recent days, the Republican president's advisers have called for Taiwan to allocate even more money to defense, and a US official said the Trump-Xi summit did not signal any change in Washington's policy towards Taiwan.
Speaking to the media, Trump reiterated his belief that tensions over the island would not escalate during his term.
“I don't think it will happen”he said, without further explanation. “I think everything will be fine. I have a very good relationship with President Xi. He knows I don't want this to happen.”
In Taipei, Taiwan's Foreign Ministry spokesman Hsiao Kuang-wei said the Trump administration had reaffirmed its support for the island, including through the $11 billion arms package announced in December.
“We will continue to strengthen cooperation with the United States, build effective deterrence forces, and jointly maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait”he told journalists.
Elon Musk and Tim Cook among the CEOs who will accompany Trump
The White House on Monday released a list of 16 top CEOs invited to accompany President Trump on his visit to China this week, Yahoo Finance reports.
The list includes several CEOs who have direct business interests in China. Boeing ( BA ) chief Kelly Ortberg is expected to attend the trip as new Chinese purchases of Boeing planes and engines are expected to be announced.
Agricultural giant Cargill will also be represented by CEO Brian Sikes, with China's agricultural procurement another important topic on the agenda.
The presence of Elon Musk, the head of Tesla ( TSLA ), is sure to attract attention after his highly publicized conflict with Trump last year, especially since the world's richest man has appeared with the former president several times in recent months.
At the same time, Sanjay Mehrotra, the chief executive of Micron Technology, will be part of Trump's delegation. Its participation is considered important because Beijing in 2023 restricted the use of certain Micron chips in critical infrastructure, citing national security reasons — a decision the company said had adversely affected its business in China, the BBC notes.
Semiconductors remain a central element of the US-China economic relationship, despite lingering tensions over technology and export controls.
Trump's visit to China is an important test for the fragile trade truce between the two countries, after a mutual trade war in which both sides imposed tariffs that at times exceeded 100%.
