Washington, 22 September, 2026 (Kamran Raja): Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to urge US President Donald Trump to halt arms sales and deliveries to Taiwan during his upcoming Washington visit, citing the 1982 US-China joint communiqué, according to sources familiar with the discussions. China considers Taiwan one of its most sensitive and important diplomatic issues and has repeatedly called for an end to US arms sales, while Washington is legally required to provide Taiwan with defensive capabilities despite not having formal diplomatic relations with Taipei. Beijing is expected to highlight the 1982 communiqué, under which the United States said it intended to gradually reduce arms sales to Taiwan, while a separate statement by then-President Ronald Reagan linked any reduction to China’s continued commitment to resolving differences with Taiwan peacefully. The sources said China may also ask Washington to stop deliveries of weapons already ordered by Taiwan and could argue that Taiwan is responsible for instability in cross-strait relations. Xi is scheduled to arrive in Washington on Wednesday for talks with Trump on Thursday, followed by a visit to the US National Archives on Friday. The Trump administration previously approved an $11 billion arms package for Taiwan, while another package worth about $14 billion has reportedly remained on hold. Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry said it was closely monitoring high-level US-China exchanges while maintaining communication with Washington.