Chinese President Xi Jinping has warned that mishandling the Taiwan issue could push relations between China and the United States into a “very dangerous” situation, even as he praised improving ties with Washington during talks with US President Donald Trump in Beijing.
Speaking during a high-stakes summit on Thursday, Xi described Taiwan as the most sensitive issue in China-US relations and cautioned that poor handling of the matter could lead to confrontation or conflict between the two global powers.
Chinese state media reported that Xi told Trump the two countries could face “collision or even clashes” if tensions over Taiwan escalate.
Despite the warning, Xi also struck a conciliatory tone, saying China and the United States were entering a more stable phase of relations following progress in trade talks and ongoing diplomatic engagement.
The summit in Beijing focused on several sensitive issues, including trade, artificial intelligence, Taiwan, the Iran conflict and rare earth minerals.
Trump reportedly pushed for expanded access for American businesses in China, while Beijing sought relief from US technology restrictions and continued opposition to American arms sales to Taiwan.
Taiwan remains a major flashpoint between the two countries. China considers the self-ruled island part of its territory and has repeatedly opposed US military and political support for Taipei.
Taiwan, however, rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims and maintains close unofficial ties with Washington.
The meeting marked one of the most closely watched diplomatic engagements between Xi and Trump amid growing geopolitical competition between the world’s two largest economies.
