Xi Jinping cautioned Trump that mishandling Taiwan could lead to conflict, highlighting its significance during their Beijing summit, reported Reuters.
President Xi Jinping cautioned US President Donald Trump that mishandling the Taiwan issue could push relations into conflict during the opening day of a two-day summit in Beijing, reported Reuters.
President Xi's warning came in a closed-door meeting lasting more than two hours, according to China's foreign ministry. While the US summary of the talks omitted Taiwan, Beijing stressed it was the most important issue in bilateral ties and could lead to a collision if handled poorly.
The leaders also discussed reopening the Strait of Hormuz, which has been closed due to the Iran war, with Xi signaling interest in buying American oil to reduce reliance on Middle Eastern supplies. Trump, facing weakened approval ratings due to the conflict, called the summit 'the biggest ever.'
Mr. Xi stated that trade negotiations in South Korea had produced balanced outcomes, aimed at maintaining last October's fragile truce. Both sides agreed to expand cooperation in trade and agriculture and exchanged views on the Middle East, Ukraine, and the Korean peninsula.
China reiterated its opposition to US arms sales to Taiwan, including a US$14 billion package awaiting Trump's approval. Analysts noted that Mr. Xi's remarks were unusually direct, warning Washington 'not to screw around' with Taiwan.
Mr. Trump's delegation included Tesla's Elon Musk and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, with technology and AI issues also on the agenda. Reuters reported that 10 Chinese firms had been cleared to buy Nvidia's H200 AI chip, though deliveries have yet to begin.
Analysts indicated that Trump entered the talks with a weakened hand, constrained by US courts on tariffs and facing inflation from the Iran war. Xi, despite China's economic slowdown, does not face comparable pressure and is expected to make a reciprocal visit later this year.
