Washington: The leaders of the world's two superpowers discussed the Taiwan issue during a phone call on Wednesday, with Chinese President Xi Jinping urging U.S. President Donald Trump to handle arms sales to Taipei "with prudence."

According to Focus Taiwan, Trump shared on Truth Social that he had an "excellent, long, and thorough" conversation with Xi, addressing topics including trade, military affairs, his upcoming trip to China, and Taiwan. However, he did not delve into specifics regarding the Taiwan discussions.

Trump also noted that Xi would consider increasing China's soybean purchases from the U.S. to 20 million metric tons in the current season, a rise from the previously agreed 12 million tons.

Xi emphasized to Trump during the call that the Taiwan issue "is the most important issue in China-U.S. relations" and asserted that Taiwan remains an inseparable part of China, as reported by China's state-run Xinhua News Agency. He urged the United States to approach the matter of arms sales to Taiwan with caution.

This focus on arms sales follows Washington's approval last December of a record US$11.1 billion arms package to Taiwan. A month prior, Trump and Xi had a phone conversation where Trump did not specify whether the Taiwan issue was addressed.

Xi, however, reiterated Beijing's stance on the Taiwan question, emphasizing Taiwan's return to China as "an integral part of the post-war international order," according to a prior Xinhua News Agency report.

A White House official on Wednesday confirmed to CNA that the U.S.' policy regarding Taiwan remains unchanged. The official remarked, "The U.S. One China policy, as our cross-Strait policies are collectively known, is based on the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), the three U.S.-PRC Joint Communiqu©s, and the Six Assurances to Taiwan."

In Taiwan, President Lai Ching-te assured reporters on Thursday that Washington and Taipei maintain consistent communication. He stated that, to his knowledge, Trump reaffirmed the U.S.' long-standing position on Taiwan, grounded in the TRA and the Six Assurances, during his latest call with Xi.

"Taiwan-U.S. relations are rock-solid, and all ongoing cooperation projects are continuing," Lai remarked during a visit to Changhua County.

The TRA, enacted by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter on April 10, 1979, commits to providing Taiwan with defense articles and services to maintain its self-defense capability. Meanwhile, the Six Assurances introduced by former U.S. President Ronald Reagan's administration in 1982, involved agreeing not to consult with Beijing on arms sales to Taiwan and to maintain neutrality on China's sovereignty claims over Taiwan.

Richard Bush, a former chairman of the American Institute in Taiwan and now a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, highlighted that it remains uncertain if Trump might make concessions on Taiwan to secure a trade deal with China. He noted that any such decision would hinge on tangible progress in trade discussions.

Conversely, Bonnie Glaser, managing director of the Indo-Pacific Program at the U.S.-based German Marshall Fund, opined that Beijing is likely to press Trump for concessions on Taiwan. However, she expressed skepticism that China would explicitly agree to reciprocate. Glaser stated, "They insist Taiwan is China's Taiwan, and that nothing can change that. Taiwan is non-negotiable." She cautioned that making an explicit deal could imply a readiness to negotiate on Taiwan in the future.