Xi Puts Trump On Notice As China Threatens To Scrap September 24 Summit

China has warned the United States that it could cancel a planned meeting between President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump if Washington approves a new arms package for Taiwan before their September 24 summit, according to a report by Japan’s Kyodo News. The warning underlines how Taiwan remains a major red line for Beijing as the two sides try to stabilise their relationship.

Xi is expected to meet Trump at the White House on September 24, marking their third meeting within a year. However, Beijing has reportedly told Washington that approving new weapons for Taiwan could derail the summit. China has long opposed US arms sales to Taiwan, arguing that they interfere in what it considers an internal matter.

The reported warning comes months after Xi used their May meeting in Beijing to caution Trump over Taiwan. Xi said the Taiwan issue was the most important matter in US China relations and warned that mishandling it could push the two countries towards confrontation or even conflict.

The latest dispute also comes after the Trump administration previously paused a $14 billion Taiwan arms package. Trump said in May that he had discussed Taiwan weapons sales with Xi but had not made a commitment, describing the arms package as a potentially useful “negotiating chip”.

US officials have since faced pressure from lawmakers and Taiwan supporters to move ahead with weapons deliveries. A senior US military official said in May that Taiwan arms sales had been temporarily halted, partly because of pressure on weapons supplies linked to US military operations elsewhere.

The latest report therefore puts renewed pressure on Trump ahead of the September 24 meeting. It also highlights the difficult balance Washington faces between maintaining ties with Beijing and supporting Taiwan’s ability to defend itself.

Taiwan has continued to strengthen its defence preparations as China maintains its claim over the island and refuses to rule out the use of force to achieve reunification.

The reported threat comes as the wider US-China relationship remains fragile, with trade, technology and security issues also expected to feature in discussions. Recent reporting has indicated that both sides are working on tariff reductions while preparing for the Washington summit.