CHINA has warned the United States not to cross its “red lines” on Taiwan and other core interests ahead of President Xi Jinping’s summit with US President Donald Trump in Washington this week, with a US$14 billion arms package for Taiwan still awaiting approval.
Chinese Ambassador to the US Xie Feng said in an article published in the Communist Party’s People’s Daily on Wednesday that China’s sovereignty, security and development interests could not be violated.
“China's sovereignty, security, and development interests cannot be violated, and four red lines — the Taiwan question, democracy and human rights, development paths and systems, and development rights — cannot be challenged,” Xie said.
He called for the two countries to manage their differences in good faith and accused Washington of “fabricating pretexts” including national security, economic imbalances and forced labour to constrain China.
“When China and the US cooperate, both benefit, but when they confront each other, both suffer,” he said.
Xi is due in Washington from Sept 23 to 25 for a state visit at Trump’s invitation, with the two leaders expected to discuss trade, Taiwan, Iran and other areas of bilateral and international concern.
Taiwan is expected to be a particularly sensitive issue, with China repeatedly calling for an end to US arms sales to the democratically governed island, which Beijing claims as its territory.
Trump has kept a new US$14 billion arms package for Taiwan on hold since his May meeting with Xi in Beijing, describing it as a “very good negotiating chip”. Reuters reported that Beijing is also expected to press Washington to halt deliveries of weapons already ordered by Taiwan.
China’s Foreign Ministry reiterated its “resolute opposition” to US arms sales, calling Taiwan the “core of core interests” in relations between the two countries.
China has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control, although it says it prefers “peaceful reunification”. Taiwan rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims.
A senior Taiwan security official said Beijing viewed any delay in US arms transfers as a means of slowing Taiwan’s military build-up and creating more room to increase pressure around Taiwan, Japan and the Philippines.
The official also said China could offer inducements, including purchases of US goods or cooperation over Middle East tensions, in an effort to persuade Trump that reduced US military commitments in the region could secure broader cooperation from Beijing.
China’s military has also increased the number of naval, coast guard and research vessels operating around Taiwan and in the South and East China seas, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
China’s defence ministry did not respond to requests for comment.
Meanwhile, the People’s Daily said in a separate commentary that what it described as Washington’s “erroneous” perceptions of China and its continued focus on “strategic competition” were fundamental causes of recurring difficulties in bilateral ties.
“The US side, in particular, needs to maintain continuity and stability in its policies, honour its commitments, and inject certainty into bilateral relations,” the commentary said.
China’s Taiwan Affairs Office also accused Taipei of deliberately escalating tensions, with spokesperson Zhu Fenglian saying: “Scheming for independence is the primary culprit in destroying peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and undermining the status quo.” - September 23, 2026
