China Signals Taiwan Is Priority Item at Trump-Xi Summit — Washington Post: Beijing to Press Trump on Arms Sales Restraint and Independence Opposition; Taipei 'Most Afraid of Being Put on the Menu'; 7 Days to Summit

A Washington Post report published May 7, 2026 confirmed China has explicitly signaled that Taiwan will be the priority agenda item at the May 14-15 Beijing summit between President Trump and President Xi Jinping — a departure from their previous South Korea meeting, where Xi deliberately set Taiwan aside. China's top agenda for the summit is understood to be: Taiwan first, then trade, then Iran. Beijing is expected to press Trump to limit future US arms sales to Taiwan, to oppose Taiwan independence, and to refrain from senior official visits to Taipei. The Trump administration has publicly stated no Taiwan policy change is imminent, but analysts note the strategic ambiguity leaves room for informal understandings. US senators were briefed on the summit dynamics on May 7. Taiwan's Deputy Foreign Minister Francois Wu has said 'what we are most afraid of is to put Taiwan on the menu of the talk between Xi Jinping and President Trump.' Modern Diplomacy and Center for American Progress also published May 7 analyses warning that the Trump administration's contradictory Taiwan signals 'court disaster' ahead of the summit. The $14 billion PAC-3/NASAMS Taiwan arms package remains on hold pending the summit outcome. Taiwan's fourth cross-party defense budget negotiation round collapsed without consensus on May 6, with a floor vote now possible from May 8 — but analysts warn the legislative deadlock weakens Taiwan's negotiating position and hands Beijing a narrative of internal division. PLA's May 7 surge to 22 sorties, arriving precisely 7 days before the summit, is assessed as deliberate pre-summit escalatory signaling to shape diplomatic expectations.