Taiwan Arms Possibly Among Trump-Xi Talking Points – May 12, 2026
US President Donald Trump says Taiwan arms sales may be up for discussion in his upcoming meeting with China's Xi Jinping, but others in Washington want Trump to uphold agreements with Taipei. Civil defense groups in Taiwan are encouraging stronger self-defense for worst-case scenarios. And the coast guard expels a Chinese research ship close to Taiwan's southernmost cape that many are pointing to as conducting underwater mapping and sound tests. Plus: - The award-winning Danjiang Bridge spanning Tamsui and Bali is now open to traffic, shortening commutes to central Taipei. - Manila hits turbulence as the Philippine legislature's lower house votes to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte and the ICC issues a warrant for a senator. - Taiwan's plummeting birthrate is hitting primary school enrollments, with incoming students in Yunlin County schools dropping to a new low of 3,600, down 600 from last year.
