China´s Xi Jinping warned President Donald Trump on Thursday that the two countries could clash over Taiwan if the issue was not handled properly, an unusually harsh admonition that stood in contrast to the American leader´s praise for his counterpart.
The exchange at a highly anticipated summit in Beijing underscored just how far apart Trump and Xi remain on thorny issues, including the war in Iran, trade disputes and Washington’s relations with Taiwan, which is self-ruled but which China claims as part of its territory. It also suggested that Trump´s three-day visit to China is likely to be longer on pageantry and symbolism than substantive political or economic breakthroughs.
The pair met for about two hours behind closed doors at the Great Hall of the People after an elaborate welcome ceremony featuring booming cannons, a band playing “The Star-Spangled Banner” and China´s national anthem, and hundreds of school children waving flowers and American and Chinese flags.
According to a post on X by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning, Xi told Trump that “the Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-US relations.”
“If it is handled properly, the bilateral relationship will enjoy overall stability. Otherwise, the two countries will have clashes and even conflicts, putting the entire relationship in great jeopardy,” she wrote.
That came after a brief public exchange before the meeting began in which Trump offered platitudes, telling Xi: “You´re a great leader. Sometimes people don´t like me saying it, but I say it anyway, because it´s true.”
“It´s an honor to be your friend,” Trump said before promising that “the relationship between China and the USA is going to be better than ever before.”
Xi was far more stark than Trump in his opening remarks, expressing hope that the US and China could avoid conflict and asking “whether the two countries can transcend the `Thucydides Trap´ and forge a new model for relations between major powers.”
That’s a term, popular in foreign policy studies, that refers to the idea that when a rising power threatens to displace an established power, the result is often war. Xi’s use of the term as Trump offered optimism was noteworthy and foreshadowed his closed-door comments about Taiwan.
Xi nonetheless struck a more conciliatory tone when describing the overall relationship. “Cooperation benefits both sides, while confrontation harms both,” Xi said. “The two countries should be partners rather than rivals.”
After their meeting, Xi took Trump on a Tour of Beijing Temple of Heaven, and the pair were planning to attend a state banquet in the evening.
In its summary of what said privately, the White House said the meeting touched on ways to enhance economic cooperation, including expanding market access for American businesses into China and increasing Chinese investment into US industries.