TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Scholars said China is likely to talk about Taiwan at an expected Trump-Xi summit on Sept. 24, though there may be little room for detailed talks on the Taiwan Strait, CNA reported Monday.
Speaking at a forum on US-China competition, Central Police University Professor Wang Chih-sheng (王智盛) said Beijing would almost certainly bring up Taiwan. He said Washington may offer only a limited response, with both sides restating their existing positions.
Wang said the summit is expected to follow a tight schedule, leaving little time for detailed discussion of security issues. He said these could include US arms sales, presidential transits through the US, and broader Indo-Pacific security.
He said a greater concern is Beijing's effort to use high-level US-China exchanges to influence public opinion in Taiwan. Such messaging, Wang said, could deepen doubts about Washington's commitment and promote the idea that Taipei might be abandoned in a future agreement.
Wu Se-chih (吳瑟致), assistant professor at Tamkang University, said Washington and Beijing could reach limited short-term agreements on less sensitive economic matters. These could cover tariffs, agricultural and energy purchases, and fentanyl-related issues, per Economic Daily News.
Such agreements would not mean the two sides have resolved their bigger strategic differences, Wu said. Washington increasingly treats semiconductors, AI, advanced manufacturing, rare earths, critical minerals, military security, and the Taiwan Strait as national security concerns rather than ordinary bargaining issues.
Taipei City University Assistant Professor Hung Pu-chao (洪浦釗) said US President Donald Trump should not be seen as representing the entire US policymaking system. Decisions on arms sales, security cooperation, technology controls, and Indo-Pacific policy also involve administration officials, national security agencies, and Congress, per Newtalk.
Hung said Beijing's demands should not be taken as evidence that Washington will make concessions. China can make requests, he said, but whether the US agrees to discuss them or changes its policy is a separate matter.
He said the public should follow the summit closely without assuming Taiwan will become a bargaining chip between Washington and Beijing. Instead, attention should focus on what the US does afterward, including any changes to arms sales, security cooperation, military deployments in the Indo-Pacific, and coordination with allies.
