China's assessment of Donald Trump's handling of Taiwan and US-China relations will primarily depend on his decisions regarding arms sales to the island, according to analysts. Trump indicated he would soon make a determination on this sensitive issue after discussing it with Xi Jinping.

Beijing’s assessment of whether US President Donald Trump can “properly handle” the Taiwan issue and US-China relations will largely come down to arms sales to the island, analysts said. Following the summit with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, Trump said on Friday that he discussed arms sales to Taiwan with Xi and would “make a determination” on the matter soon. A day earlier, Xi had warned him that mishandling the Taiwan question – the most important issue in bilateral relations – could...