Trump to raise Taiwan arms sales and Jimmy Lai case at Xi summit

The White House said President Trump will raise the issue of US arms sales to Taiwan and the situation of jailed Hong Kong media owner Jimmy Lai with Xi Jinping at their summit in Beijing this week. The meeting is shaping up as the most consequential face-to-face diplomatic encounter of Trump's second term.

While trade is expected to dominate the talks, the addition of Taiwan and Hong Kong items notably expands the agenda. The Trump administration has approved fresh arms packages for Taiwan in recent months, moves that Beijing has previously criticised in strong terms.

Lai's case has been kept on the agenda by US lawmakers as a human rights concern. Markets will watch closely whether a joint readout offers any concrete progress on tariffs, soybean purchases, or China's exports of rare earths.