US allies in Asia fear their position could be weakened in talks between President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping this week. Analysts say one of Xi’s priorities will be persuading Trump to halt $14 billion in proposed arms sales to Taiwan, a self-ruled island Beijing claims as its own.
Trump is reportedly considering a freeze of the deal — he previously called it “a very good negotiating chip” — despite Taipei’s attempt to frame it as vital for Washington’s regional interests. Meanwhile, relations between Tokyo and Beijing have worsened significantly in recent months and South Korea has faced Trump’s ire over what he has said was its lack of support for his war in Iran.