Xi Jinping,
China’s leader, told President Trump that Taiwan, if handled poorly, could lead
to a clash with the United States. The two leaders are also expected to discuss
trade and the Iran war at the two-day summit.
·
The
summit in Beijing marks the first visit by a US president to China in nearly a
decade.
·
The
meeting is seen as critical for determining whether the recent détente between
the two countries can continue.
·
Xi and
Trump met at the Great Hall of the People in a ceremony featuring:
o A military honor
guard,
o A 21-gun salute,
o Children welcoming the leaders,
o Formal state pageantry in Tiananmen
Square.
·
Xi
said China and the US should be “partners, not adversaries.”
·
Trump
praised Xi personally, calling him a “great leader” and highlighting their
direct communication through phone calls.
·
Taiwan
emerged as the key strategic issue during the talks.
o China considers Taiwan a self-governing
island that it claims as its territory.
o Xi stressed that poor handling of the
issue could result in direct confrontation between the two powers.
·
According
to Chinese state media, discussions also covered:
o Trade relations,
o The Middle East,
o Ukraine,
o The Korean Peninsula.
·
Trump
was expected to seek China’s assistance in persuading Iran to end the ongoing
conflict in the Middle East and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
·
The
White House said both sides agreed the Strait of Hormuz must remain open for
global energy security.
·
The US
side also stated that both countries agreed Iran should never obtain nuclear
weapons.
·
Talks
additionally addressed:
o Fentanyl controls,
o Market access for US firms in China,
o Chinese investment in US industries,
o Increased Chinese purchases of American
agricultural goods.
·
Chinese
state media did not specifically mention Iran’s nuclear programme or the Strait
of Hormuz in its summary.
·
The
two leaders last met in South Korea in October, where they agreed to pause an
escalating trade conflict.
·
A
major unresolved issue is whether China will extend its postponement of export
restrictions on rare earth materials that had been planned in response to US
tariffs.
[ABS News Service/14.05.2026]
China’s leader, Xi Jinping, delivered a warning on Taiwan to
President Trump as the two leaders began their summit in Beijing on Thursday, saying
that the issue, if handled poorly, could lead to conflict and “an extremely dangerous
situation.”
The summit, the first U.S. presidential visit to China in nearly
a decade, could determine whether a détente that has prevailed between the two countries
will continue — and what concessions, if any, either side is willing to make.
The leaders met in the Chinese capital in a ceremony laden with
pageantry and pleasantries. Mr. Xi greeted Mr. Trump outside the Great Hall of the
People. They shook hands before walking together past an honor guard and rows of
cheering children. As “The Star-Spangled Banner” played, a 21-gun salute echoed
across Tiananmen Square.
Inside the Great Hall, Mr. Xi called for the two countries to
work together. “We should be partners, not adversaries,” he said. Mr. Trump emphasized
his personal relationship with Mr. Xi, and said they speak to each other on the
phone to work out problems. “You’re a great leader,” he told Mr. Xi.
The White House described the talks, which lasted more than
two hours, as a “good meeting,” but Mr. Xi’s warning was a stark reminder that Taiwan,
a self-governing island claimed by China, is a red line.
“If handled poorly, the two countries will collide or even clash,
putting the entire U.S.-China relationship in an extremely dangerous situation,”
Mr. Xi said while referring to Taiwan, according to a readout from Xinhua, China’s
official news agency.
Aside from Taiwan, Mr. Xi and Mr. Trump discussed trade, the
Middle East, Ukraine and the Korean Peninsula, Xinhua said, without providing details.
The president was expected to urge Mr. Xi to help persuade Iran,
China’s closest partner in the Middle East, to end the deadlocked war that the United
States and Israel started in late February, and to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
The waterway, crucial for global energy supplies, has been effectively blocked since
the start of the war.
The White House said that both sides agreed in the talks on
Thursday that the strait must remain open. “Both countries agreed that Iran can
never have a nuclear weapon,” according to the U.S. readout of the meeting. Mr.
Trump this week repeated his threat of resuming military strikes on Iran if it does
not agree to limits on its nuclear program.
The talks also covered fentanyl, securing market access for
American companies in China, and increasing Chinese investments in American industries
and purchases of U.S. agricultural products, according to the White House.
The Chinese state media summary of the meeting did not mention
Iran’s nuclear program or the Strait of Hormuz, saying only that the Middle East
was discussed.
The two men last met in October in South Korea, where they agreed
to pause a trade war in which Beijing had threatened sweeping new export restrictions
on rare earths in response to heavy U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods. Mr. Xi decided
at the time to postpone those measures for a year. A question looming over the summit
is whether China will agree to an extension.