China's leader warns Trump that differences over Taiwan could lead to a clash

President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping met Thursday in a choreographed summit in Beijing, where the Chinese leader warned that differences over Taiwan could lead to conflict between the world's two largest economies.

As he embarked on the visit, Trump was met with a ceremony that featured an honor guard, as well as a crowd of children waving Chinese and American flags.

"The relationship between China and the USA is going to be better than ever before," Trump said, making his opening remarks in the Great Hall of the People. During his banquet toast, Trump also invited Xi to the U.S. for a September visit.

Xi said his country was committed to building a "relationship of strategic stability" with the U.S.

Taiwan "the most important issue" for Xi

At the summit, Xi placed Taiwan, a key point of friction between the U.S. and China, at the center, calling it "the most important issue" between the two countries.

Taiwan is a self-governing island that China claims as its own territory. Beijing has never renounced the use of force to unify Taiwan with the Chinese mainland.

The U.S. relationship with Taiwan has long been viewed with hostility in Beijing. Washington continues to sell arms to Taiwan, but has also long adopted a policy of strategic ambiguity over whether it would militarily come to Taiwan's defense.

Xi warned the U.S. "must exercise extra caution in handling the Taiwan question."

"If it is handled properly, the bilateral relationship will enjoy overall stability," Xi told Trump. "Otherwise, the two countries will have clashes and even conflicts, putting the entire relationship in great jeopardy."

"'Taiwan independence' and cross-Strait peace are as irreconcilable as fire and water," Xi said, adding that "safeguarding peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is the biggest common denominator between China and the U.S."

The U.S. called the meeting 'good'

The White House readout called the meeting "good" and did not mention Taiwan and remained vague on any potential dealmaking.

"The two sides discussed ways to enhance economic cooperation between our two countries, including expanding market access for American businesses into China and increasing Chinese investment into our industries," a White House statement said.

Fentanyl and Chinese purchases of agricultural products were also discussed, according to the White House.

Bilateral trade also featured prominently in the meeting

Analysts suggest Trump's visit this week is unlikely to lead to major policy changes, but is instead focused on building trust between the two countries. It followed months of trade tensions between the economic rivals and came amid heightened geopolitical tensions, including over the war in Iran.

China's President Xi Jinping (2nd from right) and President Trump (2nd from left) pose for a photo with Eric Trump (right) and his spouse, Lara Trump, at the Temple of Heaven on Thursday in Beijing.

(

China pool

/

Getty Images

)

Trump and Xi last met last October on the sidelines of an APEC summit in South Korea, ending a long-standing trade war. Since then, the U.S. and China have been engaged in what analysts call a trade truce.

"The top goal really is to maintain the relative stability that they were able to achieve in South Korea last year," said William Yang, Northeast Asia analyst at International Crisis Group, a Belgium-based think tank.

Xi called for both sides to cooperate.

"The common interests between China and the U.S. outweigh their differences," he said. "Cooperation benefits both sides, while confrontation harms both."

Before the truce, trade tensions saw U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods reach triple digits, while Beijing imposed a curb on rare earth mineral exports, which play a vital role in making mobile phones, laptops and many weapons systems.

"The Chinese leadership prefers a stable and productive relationship with the United States so that it can continue to focus on their domestic modernization [and] many of the economic challenges that they face at home," said Jessica Chen Weiss, a China studies professor at Johns Hopkins University.

Trump and Xi's meeting in the Great Hall of the People was followed by a visit to Beijing's Temple of Heaven, a place once frequented by Chinese emperors, who prayed for good harvests.

Soybeans hit the headlines in 2025, after China refused to purchase the crop from the U.S., leaving farmers struggling. On the eve of the visit, the White House suggested there could be announcements on trade between the two nations, including soybeans, and aircraft.

"These are all considered as the price China can easily absorb and pay in a way to appeal to Trump's appetite for a deal," said analyst Yang.

Taiwan's reaction to Trump-Xi summit

In Taipei, the meeting between Xi and Trump is being carefully watched.

President Trump reviews an honor guard with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People on Thursday in Beijing.

(

Alex Wong

/

Getty Images

)

Reacting to Xi's warning, Taiwan's government Cabinet spokesperson Michelle Lee said that Taipei's government is grateful for the firm U.S support of the island. "The U.S. has also repeatedly reiterated its firm and clear position of support for Taiwan," Lee said.

Trump and Xi, according to Chinese state media, also talked about the Middle East and the war in Ukraine.

"Both the United States and China want to see de-escalation of the conflict or the fallout of the U.S. war against Iran," said Ali Wyne, senior researcher at the International Crisis Group.

Strait of Hormuz "must remain open" 

The White House also said in its statement that Xi and Trump had agreed that the Strait of Hormuz, the key waterway through which 20% of the world's gas moves, must remain open.

Accompanying the U.S. delegation in Beijing are a dozen top U.S. executives, including SpaceX's Elon Musk, Apple's Tim Cook and NVIDIA's Jensen Huang.

According to Chinese state media, Xi told the business leaders that U.S. companies were contributing to China's reforms and opening up. "The door to China for U.S. business would only get wider," Xi said.

"They look forward to trade and doing business, and it's going to be totally reciprocal on our behalf," Trump said.

The visit, which includes a state banquet, a tour to the compound that houses the Chinese Communist Party in Beijing and a working lunch between the two leaders, is scheduled to conclude on Friday.
Copyright 2026 NPR