Insight & analysis on the White House and Capitol Hill.

Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF.

US President Donald Trump said he made no commitment to Chinese President Xi Jinping over Taiwan, and would make a decision soon over a planned $14 billion arms deal with the island.

“On Taiwan he feels very strongly, I made no commitment either way,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday. The US president said he would ultimately “make a determination over the next fairly short period” about the weapons after speaking to the person “that’s running Taiwan,” without specifying who he means.

“I may do it. I may not do it,” Trump said separately in a Fox News interview.
Trump said he and Xi “talked a lot” about the issue, and the Chinese leader “does not want to see a fight for independence, because that would be a very strong confrontation.” The US president told Fox he wants China to “cool down” on Taiwan.

Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including conversations with influential lawmakers and key figures in politics and policy. On this edition, Joe and Kailey speak with:

• Bloomberg Washington Correspondent Tyler Kendall.
• Republican Congressman Vince Fong of California.
• Stonecourt Capital Partner Rick Davis and Third Way Executive Vice President Jim Kessler.
• Former Fed Vice Chair Lael Brainard.

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Insight & analysis on the White House and Capitol Hill.

Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF.

After Xi Jinping regaled Donald Trump with goose-stepping soldiers and flag-waving children, the Chinese leader’s warning that Taiwan could lead to “clashes” between the superpowers amounted to a thunderclap in the choreographed world of Communist Party politics.

Cautioning American presidents against interfering with the self-ruled island is standard practice for China. But Xi’s assertion that it could trigger a “highly dangerous situation” for the world’s biggest economies marked his bluntest language yet on the topic. Beijing’s decision to release Xi’s remarks before the nearly two-and-a-half hour huddle was even over underscored the gravity of the message.

Trump must now grapple with whether Xi will actually allow Taiwan to derail the broader relationship, particularly with the Chinese leader set to visit the White House in September — the second of four planned meetings this year. Any effort by the Republican leader to quash a planned $14 billion US arms sale to Taipei would likely unleash a bipartisan backlash in Washington, at a time when he already faces voter unhappiness over the Iran war. If the deal is approved, Trump will face Beijing’s wrath.

Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including conversations with influential lawmakers and key figures in politics and policy. On this edition, Joe and Kailey speak with:

• Bloomberg Washington Correspondent Tyler Kendall.
• Republican Senator Ted Budd of North Carolina.
• Stonecourt Capital Partner Rick Davis and Bulluy Pulpit International Managing Director Adam Hodge.
• Democratic Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi.
• Republican Senator Steve Daines of Montana.
• Bloomberg Senior Editor for Technology and Strategic Industries Michael Shepard.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Insight & analysis on the White House and Capitol Hill.

Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF.

President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing for the first state visit to China by a US leader in nine years, as the world’s two largest economies look to stabilize ties with a summit playing out against the backdrop of the Iran war.

Air Force One touched down at the Beijing Capital International Airport slightly before 8 p.m. on Wednesday, where Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, a military honor guard, and hundreds of flag-waving children readied a red-carpet greeting ceremony for the US president.

The real action kicks off the next morning, with Trump meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People.

Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including conversations with influential lawmakers and key figures in politics and policy. On this edition, Joe and Kailey speak with:

• Bloomberg Washington Correspondent Tyler Kendall.
• Former State Department Chief Economist Chad Bown.
• Stonecourt Capital Partner Rick Davis and Maywood Strategies Principal Doug Farrar.
• Democratic Congresswoman Suzan DelBene.
• Bloomberg International Economics and Policy Correspondent Michael McKee.
• American Action Forum President Douglas Holtz-Eakin.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.