Can Beijing and Washington shield their planned state visits from Taiwan tensions?

Tensions over the Taiwan Strait are likely to persist in 2026, but analysts expect Washington and Beijing to manage risks to ensure that reciprocal state visits planned for the new year are not derailed.

Beijing launched massive live-fire drills around Taiwan on Monday and Tuesday, less than a fortnight after Washington announced its largest-ever arms sale to the self-ruled island.

The arms sale has added uncertainty to bilateral relations and US President Donald Trump’s planned visit to Beijing in April.

However, on Monday, Trump downplayed concerns, describing Beijing’s latest military exercises as routine activities “for 20, 25 years” and citing his personal rapport with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

South China Morning Post