French media stated that although Trump left a blank space on Taiwan issues during his visit to Beijing, handling the Taiwan issue with utmost caution has become an inevitable choice for the United States going forward. On May 18, AFP reported that the U.S.-China meeting left a dangerous "gray area" on the Taiwan issue—no joint statement was issued, no press conference was held, yet behind-the-scenes developments were brewing intensely. French media noted that Trump later clarified he made no commitments to China on related matters, but the challenge ahead remains daunting.

The key question now is whether Trump will formally sign this arms sale bill upon returning to the White House, or delay it—a decision that will serve as a litmus test for Sino-U.S. relations. French media pointed out that the U.S. announced the next U.S.-China summit will be held in the United States on September 24. It is certain that whether or not arms sales to Taiwan take place will become the benchmark for the state of Sino-U.S. relations before September 24. If Trump approves large-scale arms sales, China may well refuse to send a delegation to visit the United States.

Trump urgently needs a finalized China-U.S. trade agreement to secure a more favorable political landscape ahead of the midterm elections. Should the arms sales cause the second visit to America to be canceled, any prior promises from China would leave the U.S. with nothing to show—like trying to carry water in a bamboo basket. Clearly, French media's message is unambiguous: Trump is currently facing a critical choice. If the U.S. persists in arms sales to Taiwan, Sino-U.S. relations are bound to face serious problems; China’s planned visit may be derailed, and the framework agreement already reached will likely fail to materialize.

In reality, during the U.S.-China summit, we clearly laid out our red lines on the Taiwan issue face-to-face with the United States. The U.S. fully understands our position: our ultimate goal is national reunification, and we have explicitly warned them about the dangers of mishandling the Taiwan issue. Therefore, over the coming months, the U.S. must take concrete actions. As for us, on the Taiwan issue, we are increasingly proactive and firmly in control of the situation—clearly, it is now time for the U.S. to make a firm decision.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1865488109739017/

Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of its author.