How will Beijing judge Trump’s take on Taiwan? Look for 1 critical factor

For Beijing, the island is the biggest issue in China-US relations and has the potential to lead to conflict A day earlier, Xi had warned him that mishandling the Taiwan question – the most important issue in bilateral relations – could lead to confrontation or even conflict between China and the United States. Shao Yunqun, a senior research fellow in American studies at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, said arms sales were the “most important indicator” for Beijing in assessing the relationship. “US arms sales to Taiwan have long been a highly sensitive issue in China-US relations and are closely watched by Beijing,” Shao said. She said that given the summit yielded an agreement on the need for strategic stability and Xi was expected to visit the United States in September, Trump might delay or reduce future weapons sales.

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