Chinese President Xi Jinping has warned US President Donald Trump that disagreements over Taiwan could push relations between both countries towards conflict, despite progress in ongoing trade talks.
Xi delivered the warning during a high-profile summit in Beijing on Thursday, where the two leaders held more than two hours of talks at the Great Hall of the People.
According to a Chinese foreign ministry readout, Xi told Trump that Taiwan remained the most important issue facing both countries and warned that mishandling it could place US-China relations in an “extremely dangerous situation” and even cause the two nations to “collide or enter conflict”.
The Chinese leader also said trade negotiations between US and Chinese officials in South Korea on Wednesday had produced “overall balanced and positive outcomes”.
The talks were aimed at preserving a fragile trade truce reached between the world’s two biggest economies last October and creating mechanisms for future trade and investment cooperation.
Despite the warning over Taiwan, the summit appeared cordial, with both leaders exchanging praise during a lavish state reception in Beijing.
Trump described Xi as “a great leader” and said the meeting could become “the biggest summit ever”.
“You’re a great leader, sometimes people don’t like me saying it, but I say it anyway,” Trump said during opening remarks.
The US president’s visit to China, the first by an American president in nearly a decade comes as his administration faces pressure over the Iran war and strained relations with Beijing over trade and technology.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
