The United States is required by law to supply Taiwan, which has a democratically elected president and legislature, with weapons for its defence under the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act.
Chinese president Xi Jinping's state visit to Washington ends on a high note of pomp and less confrontation, as key details of his talks with US president Donald Trump are still to emerge.
China’s president Xi Jinping begins a highly anticipated state visit to the United States as thorny issues dominate the talks, saying the “two countries shoulder a historic responsibility”.