US President Donald Trump told reporters on the flight back to Washington after a two-day summit in Beijing that he and Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed Taiwan extensively. Trump said Xi directly asked whether the US would defend Taiwan, to which Trump replied, 'I don't talk about that.'

Trump also stated he would make a decision 'over a fairly short period' on whether to proceed with previously announced US arms sales to Taiwan, which China has condemned. He added that he would speak with Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te first.

Taiwan is a long-standing US ally, and Washington is legally bound to provide the island with the means to defend itself. Successive US administrations have walked a diplomatic tightrope by maintaining that relationship alongside building ties with Beijing.

However, that balance has been increasingly tested in recent years as China has ramped up military drills around the island, raising tensions in the region. Late last year, the Trump administration announced an $11 billion weapons package for Taiwan, including advanced rocket launchers and various missiles.

According to Chinese state media, Xi warned during the talks that 'the Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-US relations' and that 'if mishandled, the two nations could collide or even come into conflict.'

Taiwan's Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung said his team had monitored the US-China summit and maintained good communication with the US and other countries 'to ensure the stable deepening of Taiwan-US relations and safeguard Taiwan's interests.' He called Taiwan a 'guardian of peace and stability' in the region and accused China of escalating risk with 'aggressive military actions and authoritarian oppression.'

Source: www.bbc.com