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The U.S. Can’t ‘Yield Even an Inch’ to Xi, Top Democrat Says

11 0
06.07.2026

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Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth is arriving in Taiwan on Monday to reaffirm the United States’ long-term commitment to the island’s security. Her trip is taking place as U.S. President Donald Trump’s transactional approach to foreign relations has increasingly raised questions about Washington’s reliability in the face of rising aggression from China.

Duckworth will be the first U.S. senator to visit Taiwan since Trump’s May meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. During that meeting, Xi told Trump that “the Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-U.S. relations” and warned that if the issue wasn’t handled properly, it could lead to “clashes and even conflicts” between the two countries, per Beijing’s readout of the proceedings. In a Fox News interview that aired immediately after his visit, Trump said U.S. arms sales to Taiwan were a “very good negotiating chip” in relations with Beijing.

Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth is arriving in Taiwan on Monday to reaffirm the United States’ long-term commitment to the island’s security. Her trip is taking place as U.S. President Donald Trump’s transactional approach to foreign relations has increasingly raised questions about Washington’s reliability in the face of rising aggression from China.

Duckworth will be the first U.S. senator to visit Taiwan since Trump’s May meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. During that meeting, Xi told Trump that “the Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-U.S. relations” and warned that if the issue wasn’t handled properly, it could lead to “clashes and even conflicts” between the two countries, per Beijing’s readout of the proceedings. In a Fox News interview that aired immediately after his visit, Trump said U.S. arms sales to Taiwan were a “very good negotiating chip” in relations with Beijing.

Trump’s comments, which came as Taiwan waits for him to sign off on a $14 billion arms package, generated significant anxiety in Taipei. In the interview with........

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