Why Taiwan became the defining issue in the Trump-Xi talks

BEIJING — U.S. President Donald Trump has kept up an uneasy silence about Taiwan following his meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping this week, despite the U.S.' announcement in December of a record $11 billion in arms sales to the island against Beijing's wishes. Trump had said the Taiwan arms sales would be on the agenda for his talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping which ended on Friday. …