President Trump said Friday after two days of talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping that he had not decided whether to move forward with a $14 billion arms sale to Taiwan — and that he wanted both Beijing and Taipei to “cool down” their rhetoric.
Asked about the arms sale while traveling back to Washington on board Air Force One, Trump told reporters: “I will make a determination … I’ll be making decisions. But, you know, I think the last thing we need right now is a war that’s 9,500 miles away.”
Moments earlier, Trump had downplayed the possibility of a US-China conflict over the self-governing island, telling reporters: “I think we’ll be fine.”
The White House authorized a record-setting $11 billion weapons package for Taipei, but it has yet to move forward. Lawmakers also approved a $14 billion arms sale to Taiwan in January, but the sale cannot advance
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