China warned the United States that it may cancel the anticipated summit between the two countries' leaders if Washington agrees to new arms deals for Taiwan, according to informed sources cited by the British newspaper The Telegraph.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to meet his American counterpart Donald Trump at the White House on September 24, in their third direct encounter in a year.
Trump places significant importance on the upcoming summit with Xi, as the midterm congressional elections in November approach, amid a decline in his approval ratings; the White House hopes the meeting will enhance his political image.
However, Beijing has reiterated, in conjunction with the summit preparations, that the Taiwan issue represents a "red line" in China-U.S. relations, as reported by multiple sources to the Japanese news agency Kyodo.
The Trump administration announced an unprecedented arms sales package to Taiwan worth $11 billion last December, which angered Beijing, as it considers the self-governing island part of Chinese territory.
In May, the United States announced the suspension of another arms deal for Taiwan worth $14 billion, aimed at ensuring enough weapons are available to meet its needs during the war with Iran.
Sources indicated that the Chinese government threatened to cancel the scheduled bilateral meeting this month if Washington agrees to any new arms sales to Taiwan. The cancellation of such an important meeting would represent a significant political embarrassment for Trump, especially with the midterm elections approaching.
China is intensifying its military activities in the Taiwan Strait and surrounding areas. In July, Beijing conducted its first test of an intercontinental ballistic missile over the Pacific since 2024, raising renewed concerns about the possibility of military confrontation over the island.
Xi previously informed the U.S. president that Taiwan is the "most important issue" in relations between the two countries, warning that mishandling it could lead to conflict. Despite escalating disputes, both sides still seem keen to avoid decisions that could threaten the existing trade truce between them.
During his visit to Beijing in May, Trump stated that U.S. arms sales to Taiwan could be a "very good bargaining chip" in his dealings with China.
U.S. arms sales to Taiwan are based on the "Taiwan Relations Act," enacted by Congress after Washington severed its diplomatic relations with Taipei and shifted recognition to Beijing in 1979. The U.S. legal framework stipulates providing Taiwan with sufficient weapons to maintain its self-defense capability.
However, during Trump's second administration, doubts have persisted within Taiwan regarding Washington's commitment to supporting its defenses against China. The conflict in Iran is expected to be another key issue on the agenda of the upcoming summit, as the war has contributed to deepening tensions between the two superpowers.
China is by far Iran's largest trading partner, making Beijing susceptible to the effects of stringent U.S. sanctions imposed on companies and entities dealing with Tehran.
In another development, U.S. officials informed The Wall Street Journal on Friday that Iran relied on images taken by Chinese satellites to carry out an attack in July that resulted in the deaths of three American soldiers.
The officials stated that this represents the clearest evidence so far that China's support for its ally Iran during the six-month conflict has had deadly repercussions for U.S. forces.
China has consistently rejected U.S. warnings about Chinese companies providing Iran with high-resolution satellite imagery. The Chinese government has not officially announced details regarding President Xi Jinping's anticipated visit to the United States.