China's Leader Seeks to Weaken American Support for Taiwan

China's leader, Xi Jinping, aims to soften American support for Taiwan when he meets with President Trump to address worsening trade tensions. Beijing claims Taiwan as its own and has long accused Washington of encouraging the island's independence. Now, Chinese officials may try to get Mr. Trump to clarify his position on Taiwan, with some analysts suggesting that Mr. Xi wants the U.S. president to state that the United States does not support Taiwan's independence. This move could be seen as a bigger win for Beijing, which has accused Washington of encouraging Taiwan's independence.

Key Takeaways:

• Chinese officials may seek to draw President Trump out on the issue of Taiwan and have him clarify his position on the island's independence.
• Mr. Xi likely wants Mr. Trump to state that the United States does not support Taiwan's independence, a stance echoed by previous U.S. administrations.
• Any language from an American president that is seen as diluting Washington's support for Taiwan could be used by Beijing to try to set the terms for future discussions.
• Taiwan relies on American political and military support, and any perceived weakening of U.S. support could have significant implications for the island's security.
• The U.S. has stepped back in dealings with Taiwan since Mr. Trump took office, downgrading talks between Taiwanese and U.S. defense officials and moving the meeting from Washington to Alaska.
• Chinese officials believe that U.S. commitments to Taiwan will weaken over time due to the shift in balance of power in the region.
• President Trump has complained that Taiwan spends too little on its military and unfairly dominates semiconductor production.
• Mr. Trump has questioned Taiwan's ability to withstand threats from China, but also emphasized American military dominance.

Statistics:

• Taiwan has already promised to spend more than 3 percent of its economic output on defense by next year, which is the requirement set forth by President Trump.
• Mr. Trump and his officials have said that Taiwan should spend 5 or even 10 percent of its economic output on defense.
• China claims Taiwan as its own and has long accused Washington of encouraging the island's independence.

Sources:

• David Sacks, a fellow for Asia studies at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York
• Amanda Hsiao, a director for China at the Eurasia Group
• Rorry Daniels, the managing director of Asia Society Policy Institute
• Lin Chia-lung, the foreign minister of Taiwan
• Marco Rubio, the Secretary of State
• Edward Wong and Erica L. Green, reporting for The New York Times