When Trump hosted the visiting Xi Jinping, he asked him point blank whether he wanted to buy American weapons, a claim confirmed to Fox News by US Ambassador to China David Perdue. Muyan is here to tell you how this could affect the $14 billion arms sale that's still stalled on Taiwan's side. Also, outside a UK air base linked to the Iran conflict, an arrest operation stunned everyone in the early hours of Sunday. I'll tell you what happened, plus why international oil prices spiked.

Today's International Headlines

1. Taipei responds to the Trump-Xi summit: Deputy Foreign Minister Wu Chih-chung asks, "Does making concessions really serve US interests?"

• What happened: The three-day Trump-Xi summit concluded on Friday with no public breakthroughs on several disputes, including the Taiwan issue. A senior Taiwanese diplomat told CNBC that the US supplying Taiwan with weapons for self-defense, while Taiwan continues to supply semiconductors to the world, is itself in America's national interest. Deputy Foreign Minister Wu Chih-chung, meanwhile, posed the question of whether making concessions on the Taiwan issue would really benefit the United States. According to CNBC, a political science professor at National Cheng Kung University assessed that the summit's outcome was better than expected, saying, "A lot of things we thought would go badly didn't happen."
• Why it matters: The Trump administration approved an $11billionarmssaletoTaiwanlastDecember,thelargestinhistory,butasecondpackageworthroughly11\; billion\; arms\; sale\; to\; Taiwan\; last\; December,\; the\; largest\; in\; history,\; but\; a\; second\; package\; worth\; roughly$14 billion has been stalled for months. Whether it gets unfrozen is the most direct indicator to watch for US-China-Taiwan relations going forward.
• Taiwan's perspective: Whether the stalled $14 billion arms deal gets unfrozen is the single thread most worth watching over the coming months.
• Source: CNBC (https://www.cnbc.com/2026/09/26/arming-taiwan-is-an-important-us-interest-taipei-official-says.html)

2. Did Trump ask Xi Jinping if he wanted to buy American weapons? US Ambassador to China confirms it

• What happened: US Ambassador to China David Perdue told Fox News that Trump brought up the arms sales issue again during Xi Jinping's visit to the US last week. According to Fox News, Trump reportedly said bluntly, "We sell weapons to everybody else in the world," and even asked Xi directly whether he wanted to buy some. During his visit, Xi reiterated his demand that the US exercise "caution" on the Taiwan issue, and further pressed Washington to explicitly oppose Taiwanese independence.
• Why it matters: If true, this would upend decades of established US policy toward China and Taiwan, and could expose American technology to a potential adversary. No other official channel has yet confirmed the full details of the conversation.
• Taiwan's perspective: Under the Taiwan Relations Act, the US is obligated to provide Taiwan with defensive weapons. Trump treating arms sales as a bargaining chip in negotiations with China is the most sensitive variable in Taiwan's security calculus.
• Source: Euronews (https://www.euronews.com/2026/09/28/trump-offered-to-sell-arms-to-china-during-xi-visit-us-ambassador-tells-fox-news)

3. Oil prices jump: Trump rejects Iran's proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Brent surges past $107

• What happened: Trump rejected a peace proposal from Iran, along with conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Once the news broke, oil prices rose immediately during Monday's Asian trading session. US crude futures for November delivery climbed 1.87% to $94.14abarrel,whileBrentcrudejumped2.8994.14\; a\; barrel,\; while\; Brent\; crude\; jumped\; 2.89\%\; to$107.34 a barrel. Reports also noted that Trump told aides he expects military action against Iran to resume after the November midterm elections.
• Why it matters: The rise in oil prices dragged down Asian stocks in tandem: South Korea's KOSPI index tumbled as much as 2.7% at one point, while Japan's Nikkei 225 closed down 0.73%. Markets are closely watching whether military action against Iran actually follows.
• Taiwan's perspective: Taiwan relies on imports for nearly all its energy, so oil prices topping $100 will feed directly into electricity rates, shipping costs, and consumer prices. The ripple effect across Asian markets will also weigh on Taiwan's stock market and the New Taiwan dollar exchange rate.
• Source: CNBC (https://www.cnbc.com/2026/09/28/oil-price-today-wti-brent-trump-iran.html)

4. South Korea demands apology from Ukraine: Zelensky's UN admission of handing over two North Korean POWs sparks controversy

• What happened: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky publicly revealed at the UN General Assembly that Kyiv had handed over two North Korean soldiers, captured while fighting on Russia's side, to South Korea. South Korea's presidential office immediately demanded a formal explanation and apology from Ukraine, accusing Kyiv of publicly disclosing the handover and then denying that the two sides had agreed to keep it confidential, severely damaging trust between the two governments. Ukrainian presidential adviser Dmytro Lytvyn responded, according to Nikkei Asia, that Ukraine is "an open country," and that keeping the handover secret would have seemed strange.
• Why it matters: The dispute could affect Kyiv's efforts to secure weapons support from allies like South Korea. Both sides continue to give conflicting accounts, and there is no public sign of reconciliation so far.
• Taiwan's perspective: North Korea's troop deployment and shifts in the scope of South Korea's military aid abroad are both bellwethers for Northeast Asia's security landscape, directly affecting the military balance around Taiwan.
• Source: Nikkei Asia (https://asia.nikkei.com/politics/ukraine-war/south-korea-demands-apology-from-ukraine-over-north-korean-pow-disclosure)

5. Five arrested outside UK air base, counter-terrorism police take over investigation into spillover risk from Iran conflict

• What happened: Gloucestershire Police received a report in the early hours of Sunday that three suspicious vehicles were heading toward RAF Fairford, an air base in western England that served as the takeoff and landing point for US strikes on Iran. Police subsequently arrested five men under the Explosive Substances Act, and UK counter-terrorism police have since taken over the investigation. According to Al Jazeera, Trump told reporters that the suspects intended to cause "significant damage."
• Why it matters: Authorities are investigating whether the case is linked to Iran, though no connection has been confirmed yet, and the details are still being clarified.
• Taiwan's perspective: Middle East conflict spilling over into the security of military bases on European soil means that most of Taiwan's energy and cargo shipping routes cannot avoid the risk premium created by this conflict.
• Source: Al Jazeera (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/28/terror-incident-near-raf-base-used-for-iran-war-what-we-know)

6. Russia's nationwide strikes on Ukraine kill 8, Kharkiv hit again with 22 injured

• What happened: Russian forces struck Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv, injuring at least 22 people, including children, less than 24 hours after a nationwide Russian air assault on Ukraine killed eight people the day before. Meanwhile, the United States is trying to restart Russia-Ukraine ceasefire talks. Both Kyiv and Moscow confirmed last Friday that trilateral talks would resume, with the UAE proposed as the host for the new round of negotiations.
• Why it matters: The fact that strikes and ceasefire talks are unfolding simultaneously highlights the gap between the battlefield situation and diplomatic efforts, and whether the upcoming talks will actually materialize is drawing close attention.
• Taiwan's perspective: The pace of the Russia-Ukraine war and ceasefire talks has long-term effects on European energy prices and global food and fertilizer costs, and also serves as an important reference point for Taiwan in observing how major powers handle territorial disputes.
• Source: Al Jazeera (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/28/russian-strikes-kill-eight-injure-dozens-across-ukraine)

7. Bangkok declares citywide disaster zone as Thailand-Myanmar floods leave 16 dead

• What happened: The Thai government said nationwide flooding since September 16 has killed 8 people. The capital Bangkok itself reported no deaths, but declared a citywide state of disaster on Saturday after nearly 48 hours of heavy rain, with more than 1.7 million people affected across 27 provinces nationwide. According to AFP, Bangkok Governor Chadchart said pumping stations have been running at full capacity for days, and the floodwaters may take "up to a week" to fully recede. In Myanmar's southern Dawei region, flooding and landslides have left 8 bodies recovered so far, with another 20 to 30 people missing.
• Why it matters: Drainage in Bangkok will likely take some time to fully recover, and search-and-rescue operations for the landslides in Myanmar are still ongoing. The disaster situation in both places is far from over.
• Taiwan's perspective: Thailand is a popular destination for Taiwanese travelers, and Bangkok's floodwaters are unlikely to fully recede in the short term. Upcoming trips to Thailand and Southeast Asian supply chain logistics are both worth reassessing.
• Source: France 24 (https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20260928-tolls-mount-in-thailand-myanmar-floods)

Closing

The line most worth remembering today is probably "We sell weapons to everybody else in the world." It affects not just US-China relations, but also Taiwan's $14 billion arms deal that's been stalled for months. Over the next few days, Muyan will keep an eye on whether tensions around the Strait of Hormuz actually escalate, and whether there's any real progress in the Russia-Ukraine ceasefire talks. See you tomorrow.