China's Xi expected to press Trump to haltarms sales to Taiwan

China's Xi Jinping is expected to press US President Donald Trump to halt Taiwan arms sales under a 1982 joint statement during a visit to Washington this week, which he could do at the US National Archives, sources briefed on the matter said.



China regularly describes the issue of Taiwan, which Beijing views as its own territory, as its most sensitive and important diplomatic issue and has repeatedly called for arms sales to stop.



The US is bound by law to provide democratically-governed Taiwan with the means to defend itself, despite the lack of formal diplomatic relations.



Taiwan's government rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims.



Three sources familiar with discussions between the US and China ahead of Xi going to Washington this week for a summit with Trump told Reuters that China is likely to bring up its interpretation of the third of the three "joint communiques" between the two countries, signed in 1982.