In their first call since November, Chinese leader Xi Jinping warned US president Donald Trump to be “prudent” about supplying arms to Taiwan, according to a readout of their call provided by China’s foreign ministry. “President Xi emphasised that the Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-US relations,” the readout said. The US must handle the issue of arms sales to Taiwan with prudence.”Hours later, the self-ruled island’s president, Lai Ching-te, said ties with the US were “rock solid”. In December, the US state department announced its largest-ever arms sales package to Taiwan, valued at more than $11.1bn and including missiles, artillery systems and drones. Late on Wednesday, Trump had said the call with Xi – which covered topics including Taiwan’s future – was “excellent” and “thorough” in a post on Truth Social.

Source: The Guardian February 05, 2026 20:01 UTC