Chinese President Xi Jinping warned US President Donald Trump over Taiwan during a summit in Beijing

Chinese President Xi Jinping warned his US counterpart Donald Trump that mishandling the Taiwan issue could drive the two countries toward “conflict”, delivering a stark message as the two leaders met at a high-stakes summit in Beijing on Thursday.

Trump arrived in China praising Xi as a “great leader” and “friend”, expressing optimism that the two nations would share “a fantastic future together”.

But despite the grand reception, Xi adopted a more cautious tone, stressing that China and the United States “should be partners, not rivals”, while immediately raising the sensitive issue of Taiwan — the self-ruled democratic island claimed by Beijing.

“The Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-US relations,” Xi said, according to remarks released by Chinese state media shortly after the talks began.

“If mishandled, the two nations could collide or even come into conflict, pushing the entire China-US relationship into a highly perilous situation,” he added during opening discussions that lasted more than two hours.

Trump’s Beijing visit — the first by a sitting US president in nearly a decade — featured elaborate ceremony despite persistent trade disputes and geopolitical tensions between the two powers.

Xi welcomed Trump at the Great Hall of the People with military honours, a gun salute and cheering schoolchildren waving greetings.

Clearly enjoying the reception, Trump declared that “the relationship between China and the USA is going to be better than ever before”.

Xi, however, invoked the “Thucydides Trap” — the theory that conflict can erupt when a rising power challenges an established one — as he urged both countries to avoid confrontation.

“Can China and the United States transcend the so-called ‘Thucydides Trap’ and forge a new paradigm for major-power relations?” Xi asked, adding that “cooperation benefits both sides, while confrontation harms both”.

Relations between the two nations have deteriorated sharply since Trump’s last visit in 2017, with disputes over trade, technology and global influence intensifying throughout 2025.

Taiwan remains one of the most contentious issues between Beijing and Washington. Although the United States officially recognises only China, US law requires Washington to provide Taiwan with defensive weapons. Beijing, which has vowed to bring Taiwan under its control, has increased military pressure on the island in recent years.

Following Xi’s remarks, Taiwan described China as the “sole risk” to regional peace and said Washington had repeatedly reaffirmed its strong support for Taipei.

Earlier this week, Trump said he planned to discuss US arms sales to Taiwan with Xi, marking a shift from Washington’s longstanding stance that such matters would not be negotiated with Beijing.

Analysts said Xi’s unusually direct remarks reflected Beijing’s concerns over Taiwan. Adam Ni, editor of the China Neican newsletter, told AFP that while tough rhetoric is common in Chinese diplomacy, such blunt language from Xi himself was rare.

“Xi wants to make it very clear that he sees Taiwan as the potential powder keg between the two superpowers,” Ni said.

The summit was also overshadowed by the Iran conflict, which had already forced Trump to postpone the visit from March. Trump said he expected lengthy discussions with Xi on Iran, though he insisted the United States did not require Beijing’s assistance.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, however, said Washington hoped China would play a more active role.

Trump is also seeking business agreements in sectors such as agriculture and aviation. Business leaders accompanying him — including Nvidia chief Jensen Huang and Tesla CEO Elon Musk — attended Thursday’s welcome ceremony.

Afterward, Musk described the meeting as “wonderful”, while Huang praised both presidents as “incredible”.

Xi later assured US business leaders that China’s “doors to the outside world will open wider and wider”, promising brighter prospects for American companies in China.

Ahead of the summit, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng met in South Korea to discuss easing the prolonged trade war between the two countries. Xi said the talks had produced “generally balanced and positive” results and urged both sides to maintain the current momentum.

Trump and Xi are also expected to discuss extending a one-year tariff truce agreed during their last meeting in South Korea in October. Rare earth export controls and competition over artificial intelligence are also on the agenda.

Following their morning talks, the two leaders visited Beijing’s Temple of Heaven, where Chinese emperors once prayed for good harvests, before returning to the Great Hall of the People for a state banquet later in the evening.