During a state visit to Washington, President Trump hosted Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the National Archives Museum on September 25, 2026. The visit included a tour of foundational U.S. documents, but planners made significant last-minute changes to the event after Chinese officials expressed concern about specific materials.
According to Chinese diplomats and people familiar with the planning, Beijing objected to the inclusion of the Treaty of San Francisco, a 1951 document that ended World War II hostilities between Japan and the Allied Powers. The treaty’s problematic element, from Beijing’s perspective, was that it left Taiwan’s political status undetermined and did not affirm Chinese sovereignty over the island. Chinese officials noted their country was not a signatory to the document. As a result, organizers removed a display that had been prepared for the foyer, including items such as a brick from the Great Wall of China and a 19th-century imperial scroll.
U.S. officials also considered displaying other Taiwan-related documents, including the Six Assurances and the Three Communiques, which define aspects of the U.S.-China-Taiwan relationship, but ultimately decided against their inclusion. An administration official characterized the visit as focused on discussing shared history and concluded that it had been productive for both leaders.
Expertts noted the incident illustrates Taiwan’s sensitive role in U.S.-China relations and suggests internal debate within the Trump administration regarding its approach to the issue. While the U.S. maintains no formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan and has no explicit defense commitment, American legislation and diplomatic arrangements position the country as Taiwan’s primary security guarantor. Beijing, which views Taiwan as a province that should eventually be under its control, has intensified criticism of the Treaty of San Francisco since late last year and has privately urged other nations to consider the document illegitimate.
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