US allies fret over how Trump might play his Taiwan hand with Xi

US allies in Asia are growing anxious that President Donald Trump may be tempted to soften Washington's support for Taiwan in return for an economic win with Beijing as he prepares to host Chinese leader Xi Jinping next week.



Concerns that Trump could make concessions on Taiwan have heightened since he described US arms sales to the democratically governed island claimed by China as a "negotiating chip" in May, and as he tries to shore up approval ratings dented by the Iran war.



Xi will likely press Trump on Taiwan during their expected summit on September 24, and even a subtle change in US rhetoric could embolden Beijing and risk the region's fragile peace, according to interviews with government officials, lawmakers and analysts in Taipei, Tokyo and Washington.



"There's a great deal of trepidation, particularly from our allies, about where our China policy is going to land," said Emma Chanlett-Avery, political-security affairs director for US-based think tank Asia Society Policy Institute.



"Any indication of a softness on Taiwan would be quite alarming," she added.