During their February 4 phone call, President Xi Jinping used the opportunity to warn President Donald Trump on China's Taiwan red lines. Xi had described the US approach to Taiwan "the most important issue in China-U.S. relations," declaring that China"will never allow Taiwan to be separated from China."

Trump has repeatedly stressed the need to keep lines of communication open with Beijing, even as he insists on safeguarding American interests and regional security, and as Washington continues arms and political support to Taipei and its full independence aspirations.But Trump is also looking ahead to his much anticipated China visit in April, aswe've highlightedbefore.

Could the April visit to Beijing be in jeopardy, and is the direct pressure from Xi working?

A fresh Wednesday report inThe Wall Street Journalsuggests the answer isyes- and the report goes so far as to describe that a keyrecord-breaking $11.1 billion arms sale package to Taiwan, first announced in December of last year, iscurrently in limbo.

"A major U.S. arms-sales package for Taiwan is in limbo following pressure from Chinese leader Xi Jinping and concerns among some in the Trump administration that greenlighting the weapons deal would derail President Trump’s coming visit to Beijing, according to U.S. officials," WSJ writes.

Trump’s advisers arevacillating on the decision, according to a U.S. official familiar with the arms package, who insisted that, while Xi was adamant, Trump wouldn’t be pushed around by China. Trump wants to preserve a trade truce with Xi, a second U.S. official said, so the timing of an arms-sale decision is being carefully considered behind the scenes, the person said.

In response to a request for comment, a U.S. official said the arms sales are working their way through the administration’s internal process.

The U.S. Congress hasn’t officially been notified of new arms sales, but a congressional aide said it had been expected to include Patriot antimissile interceptors and other weapons.

WSJ concludes that Trump is fundamentally seeking to avoid antagonizing China, in order to no blow up the anticipated visit.

Another key issue on the line, affirmed in the earlier February Xi-Trump call is seen in thefollowing:

Source: ZeroHedge News