U.S. official disputes reports of China threatening Trump-Xi summit

A senior U.S. official has disputed reports claiming that China threatened to cancel an upcoming summit between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The reports suggested the threat was linked to approximately $14 billion in U.S. arms sales to Taiwan that had been approved by Congress but not yet formally notified by the administration.

While some reports indicated Beijing viewed Taiwan as a “red line” in bilateral relations, the senior official characterized the claims as inaccurate. The dispute involves a pending weapons package that follows previous arms sales notifications. President Trump has previously described the potential sales as a “very good negotiating chip,” stating he was holding them “in abeyance.”

Analysts have noted that such tensions are often part of “usual rhetorical chest-thumping” regarding the status of Taiwan.