Taipei will be watching for any sign that Trump, who has unnerved partners with his transactional approach to alliances, could soften or reframe longstanding US policy on Taiwan in return for China buying US aircraft or farm goods and easing economic pressures.
"Regarding Taiwan, the logic is simple: if the US does not want to fight a major war with China over Taiwan, it should not support Taiwan independence," said Wu Xinbo, dean of Fudan University's Institute of International Studies, who serves on the policy advisory board of China's foreign ministry.
"Trump has no interest in going to war with China. To avoid a major conflict that involves the US, he should make it clear that he won't support independence or take actions that encourage a separatist political agenda."
China's foreign ministry said in a statement Taiwan is China's "core of core interests" and the "political basis of China-US relations".
"'Taiwan independence' and peace in the Taiwan Strait are as incompatible as fire and water," it added, saying China and the US remain in communication about Trump's trip.
The US State Department did not respond to requests for comment.
The US follows a "one China policy" by which it officially takes no position on Taiwan's sovereignty and only acknowledges, but does not accept, China's position, which claims the island as its own. The US says it "does not support" Taiwan's independence but will help it maintain self-defence.
Trump administration officials have repeatedly said there has been no change on Taiwan policy, and have routinely condemned China for its pressure against the island.
Privately, they stress Trump has approved considerably more in weapons sales to Taiwan in just over a year in his second term than his predecessor Joe Biden did throughout his presidency.
At a summit with Biden in 2024, Xi asked him to change US language on Taiwan to "we oppose Taiwan independence," from the current version.
The US has declined to make the change.
People involved in the preparations for Trump's trip say privately that China has been constantly sending similar signals at a working level ahead of the summit, but declined to discuss the details, citing confidentiality of the talks.
Officials in Taiwan, whose government rejects Beijing's sovereignty claim, are on high alert.
Taiwan Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hsiao Kuang-wei said this week that since Trump took office, his administration "has continuously reaffirmed its support for Taiwan".
China has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control. It last held war games around the island in late December, following the US announcement of an $US11 billion arms sales package for Taiwan, the largest ever.
China has used both the carrot and the stick in the run-up to the meeting. It has offered "benefits" for Taiwan in trade and tourism. Then, last week, Taipei accused China of pressuring three African countries to block overflight rights for President Lai Ching-te's trip to Eswatini, causing it to be cancelled. The US strongly criticised China's actions.
Lai says Taiwan is already an independent country called the Republic of China, its official name. Beijing views Lai as both a "separatist" and illegitimate leader who is pushing the two sides of the Taiwan Strait to the brink of war.
Former Trump adviser Robert O'Brien said he would not become "the first American president to lose Taiwan. That would not be a Donald Trump goal to have in mind. That's not the legacy he wants."
