Taiwan’s opposition casts doubt on ‘rock solid’ US ties ahead of Xi-Trump summit
Por Lawrence Chung — South China Morning Post – News feed
Advertisement Taiwan China Politics Taiwan’s opposition casts doubt on ‘rock solid’ US ties ahead of Xi-Trump summit
KMT seizes on reported limits on Washington visits as a ‘wake-up call’ for Taipei, warning that US policy is driven by self-interest
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Lawrence Chung in Taipei Published: 7:30pm, 22 Sep 2026 Reports that Taiwanese officials have been asked to scale back visits to Washington have sparked debate over whether the island’s ties with the United States remain as “rock solid” as Taipei has maintained.
The New York Times reported on Monday that some Taiwanese officials travelling to the US had been told by Trump administration officials to “curtail their visits to research groups in Washington”.
The report came as US President Donald Trump prepared to host Chinese leader Xi Jinping for a summit in Washington on Thursday. Taiwan is expected to feature in their discussions, and Beijing has been pressing Washington to halt or further delay arms sales to the island.
Citing Brookings Institution senior fellow Ryan Hass, the report said the move reflected Trump’s preference to ensure Taiwan did not become an “obstacle” to his ambitions in dealing with Beijing.
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