Taiwan Deputy FM: 'Most Afraid Taiwan Will Be Put on the Menu' at Trump-Xi Summit; US House FY2027 Bill Earmarks $500M FMF

Taiwan Deputy Foreign Minister Francois Wu publicly expressed Taipei's sharpest fear about the upcoming Trump-Xi Beijing summit (May 14-15, 2026) in interviews published April 24-26: 'What we are the most afraid is to put Taiwan on the menu of the talk between Xi Jinping and President Trump.' Wu acknowledged that engagements between Taipei and Washington have been positive but said it is 'impossible to get reassurance from the White House about what exactly would be discussed or agreed to in the Beijing summit.' Taiwan's strategy centers on expanding common interests with the US — particularly semiconductor investment ($500B Taiwan commitment under the January 15, 2026 US-Taiwan trade deal) — as the primary defense against being treated as a bargaining chip: 'The more we share a common national interest, the more I think we feel comfortable that we will not be put on the menu.' Analysts at The Diplomat (April 2026, 'China's Taiwan Calculus Ahead of the Trump-Xi Summit') assess Beijing is not seeking a grand bargain but incremental gains: (1) a US verbal commitment to 'oppose Taiwan independence,' (2) delay or suspension of the $14B PAC-3/NASAMS arms package, and (3) weakened future arms sales notification procedures. Separately, the US House Appropriations Committee released its FY2027 national security funding bill on April 24, earmarking 'not less than US$500 million' in Foreign Military Financing (FMF) for Taiwan — the first such explicit FMF designation for Taiwan in a House appropriations bill. The FMF provision would fund HIMARS, M109A7 Paladin howitzers, army and navy missiles, joint ammunition co-production, and US technical assistance for building an integrated 'Taiwan Shield' air defense network. The bill requires passage by both chambers; its prospects are uncertain amid Trump's summit diplomacy with Beijing.