The Beijing summit on May 14-15 between Xi Jinping and Donald Trump, and a planned September 24 meeting in Washington, DC, raised global concerns that Taiwan's future might be traded off in a superpower deal. Despite fears of the US softening support for Taiwan in exchange for Chinese help in the Iran war or reduced US weapons sales for Chinese purchases, no such deal emerged from the secretive Beijing summit.
Notably, Taiwan itself remained comparatively relaxed about the Trump-Xi dialogue, even after President Trump described a proposed US$14 billion weapons package as a "good negotiating chip" with China. This calm demeanor persists despite Taiwan being considered the number one potential flashpoint for a catastrophic conflict between nuclear superpowers, with high stakes for strategic control of the western Pacific and global leadership, making nuclear weapon use terrifyingly likely. Taiwan's apparent lack of worry prompts an inquiry into separating strategic signals from summit noise.
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