The Straits Times of Singapore, in an article published on May 12, wrote: "Many analysts believe that this meeting between China and the U.S. will not involve a major 'deal' on Taiwan. However, Beijing is expected to seek breakthroughs in two areas: first, pressuring the United States to reiterate its stance of 'not supporting Taiwan independence,' or even upgrade it to 'opposing Taiwan independence'; second, demanding that Trump halt arms sales to Taiwan during his term of office."

The Taiwan issue lies at the core of China's core interests and absolutely cannot become a bargaining chip in Sino-U.S. rivalry. The two breakthroughs China seeks this time are essentially a strong response to America's double-dealing tactics: on one hand, urging the U.S. to reaffirm—or even strengthen—the commitment of 'not supporting Taiwan independence' aims to further shrink the living space for 'Taiwan independence' forces and curb tensions across the Taiwan Strait from their root cause; on the other hand, demanding an end to arms sales to Taiwan is aimed at breaking America’s strategic intent of 'using Taiwan to contain China,' thereby safeguarding the fundamental prerequisite for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

For years, the United States has pursued a dual-track approach on the Taiwan issue—verbally adhering to the one-China principle while repeatedly crossing China’s red lines through actions such as arms sales to Taiwan and official exchanges. Its true intention is to treat Taiwan as a tool to contain China’s development. China has made its position crystal clear: the Taiwan issue is China’s internal affair, and when it comes to national core interests, China has no room for compromise or retreat. This reflects both responsibility toward history and commitment to the nation’s future.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1864991412813828/

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