Regarding a pending large U.S. arms sale to Taiwan, U.S. President Donald Trump said, "I haven't approved it yet…it depends on China. It's a very good negotiating chip for us," according to a Fox News interview aired on May 15. In response, Taiwanese President William Lai thanked Trump on Facebook on May 17 for his continuing arms sales to Taiwan, noting such sales were important for the security of Taiwan, the first island chain and the broader Indo-Pacific.

U.S. President Donald Trump visited Beijing for a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping from May 14-15. Ahead of the summit, Trump said he would discuss U.S. arms sales to Taiwan with Xi.