US President Donald Trump said on Monday that Taiwan would be discussed in his talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, and pledged to raise the case of jailed Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying at their summit in Beijing this week.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said the Chinese President would be more likely than he to bring up the Taiwan issue at their meeting on Thursday and Friday.

“He’ll bring up Taiwan, I think, more than I will,” he said.

Asked whether the US should continue selling arms to Taiwan, Trump said: “I’m going to have that discussion with President Xi.”

Beijing views Taiwan as part of China to be reunified by force if necessary. Like most countries, the United States does not recognise Taiwan as independent, but Washington opposes any attempt to take the island by force and is required by domestic law to continue providing it with defensive weapons.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last week that he was “sure Taiwan will be a topic of conversation”.