Taiwan's government, worried about being used as a pawn by China and the United States, said on Monday the self-ruled island must protect its own interests as concerns in Taipei rise ahead of an expected meeting of U.S and Chinese leaders.

China has never renounced the use of force to take back what it deems a wayward province and has been pressuring Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, who leads an independence-leaning ruling party, to concede Taiwan is a part of China.

The United States is Taiwan's only major political ally and sole arms supplier, and weapons sales to Taiwan have repeatedly upset Beijing.

"We call on the United States and China, when they improve relations, to not use Taiwan in their own interest or as a chess piece," Catherine Chang, Taiwan's minister in charge of China affairs, the Mainland Affairs Council, told reporters.

Chang urged Beijing to communicate with Taipei "in order to maintain stability and peace in the Asia Pacific region."

The comments come after U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday in Beijing that U.S. President Donald Trump anticipates a meeting "soon."

At issue for Taipei is whether a Trump-Xi meeting will harm Taipei's interests as Washington begins considering a big, new arms package for Taiwan, a move sure to anger China.

In Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said China's resolute opposition to U.S. arms sales to Taiwan was clear and consistent.

"We hope the U.S. fully recognizes the high sensitivity and serious harmfulness of U.S. arms sales to Taiwan," she told a daily news briefing, adding that the United States should handle the Taiwan issue cautiously.

There is contact between Taiwan and the new administration on the arms sale issue, but a specific request list has not been drawn up for this year, though there are pending requests from last year, defense ministry official Wu Pao-kun told lawmakers.

Reuters