US Considers Direct Talks with Taiwan and New Arms Package, Drawing Sharp Rebuke from Beijing

China has strongly opposed the possibility of direct talks between the United States and Taiwan, warning that such engagement would violate long-standing diplomatic protocol and undermine regional stability. Beijing has reiterated that Taiwan is a core sovereignty issue and urged Washington to avoid official contact with Taipei.

The tensions follow US President Donald Trump’s recent visit to Beijing, where he claimed success in meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping but achieved little tangible progress on key geopolitical and economic issues. Shortly after the trip, Trump signaled a potential shift in US policy by stating he could speak directly with Taiwan’s leader while reviewing a major arms package for the island.

When asked if he had plans to call the Taiwanese leader before deciding on the weapons package, Trump replied: “I’ll speak to him. I speak to everybody. We have that situation very well in hand. We had a great meeting with President Xi… We’ll work on that the Taiwan problem.”

China’s Foreign Ministry responded firmly, stating it “firmly opposes any official contact between the United States and Taiwan” and “resolutely opposes US arms sales to the island.” The ministry added that the United States should “stop sending wrong signals to Taiwan separatist forces and take concrete actions to maintain peace and stability.”

The developments come amid heightened tensions in the Taiwan Strait. China continues to claim Taiwan as its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to bring the island under its control. Trump is reportedly reviewing a $14 billion arms package for Taiwan that could include air defense missile systems and anti-drone technology.

A planned visit by Pentagon officials to China is now reportedly in doubt over the arms package. Beijing has previously responded to US engagement with Taiwan with military displays of force. In 2022, following then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, China launched 11 ballistic missiles into waters around the island.

At the same time, the United States is expanding its military footprint in the region. Washington plans to deploy Typhon mid-range missile launchers and Himars rocket systems to Kanoya Air Base in Japan’s Kagoshima Prefecture during upcoming military exercises from June to September. The Typhon system can fire Tomahawk cruise missiles with a range of approximately 1,600 kilometers and SM-6 interceptor missiles exceeding 300 km. The Himars system offers deep-strike capability up to 400 km and features “shoot and scoot” mobility.

Following the exercises, the missile systems are expected to remain stationed at the US base in Japan, a move widely interpreted as a strategic signal to China.

China and Russia have also jointly criticized Trump’s proposed “Golden Dome” missile defense plan. In a joint statement following a summit between Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, the two countries accused Washington of threatening global strategic stability through the ground- and space-based missile shield initiative.

Tensions between Washington and Beijing have escalated across diplomatic, military, and strategic fronts in the days since Trump’s visit to China.