Chinese President Xi Jinping issued a stark warning to U.S. President Donald Trump over Taiwan during high-level talks in Beijing on Thursday, underscoring persistent tensions between the world’s two largest powers despite public displays of cordiality between the two leaders.
Speaking during a summit held at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People, Xi stressed that Taiwan remains the most sensitive issue in relations between China and the United States, warning that mishandling the matter could push both countries toward confrontation.
According to Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning, Xi told Trump that “the Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-U.S. relations,” adding that proper handling of the issue could preserve stability in bilateral ties.
“Otherwise, the two countries will have clashes and even conflicts, putting the entire relationship in great jeopardy,” Mao wrote in a post on X summarizing Xi’s remarks.
The warning highlighted the strategic distrust that continues to shape relations between Beijing and Washington, even as both sides publicly emphasized dialogue and cooperation during Trump’s visit.
Before the closed-door meeting, Trump praised Xi in front of reporters, calling him “a great leader” and describing it as “an honor” to be his friend. The American president also expressed optimism about future ties, saying relations between the United States and China would become “better than ever before.”
Xi, however, adopted a noticeably more cautious tone, raising concerns about whether China and the United States could avoid falling into what analysts describe as the “Thucydides Trap” — the theory that rivalry between a rising power and an established global power often leads to conflict.
The Chinese president nevertheless reiterated Beijing’s preference for cooperation over confrontation, stating that “cooperation benefits both sides, while confrontation harms both,” and emphasizing that the two countries “should be partners rather than rivals.”
The meeting also reflected broader disagreements between the two powers on several geopolitical and economic issues, including trade disputes, the war in Iran, and Washington’s ties with Taiwan, the self-ruled island that China considers part of its territory.
Despite the symbolism surrounding Trump’s three-day visit, marked by a lavish welcome ceremony featuring military honors, national anthems, and children waving Chinese and American flags, the talks suggested that deep strategic differences between Beijing and Washington remain unresolved.
