President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping opened a closely watched summit Thursday in Beijing, where the Chinese leader warned that tensions over Taiwan could push the United States and China toward conflict.
The two leaders met at the Great Hall of the People during a two-day summit expected to focus on trade, tariffs, Taiwan, Iran, and artificial intelligence. Trump was welcomed with an honor guard and crowds of children waving Chinese and American flags.
“The relationship between China and the USA is going to be better than ever before,” Trump said during opening remarks, CNBC reported.
Xi described the relationship between the two countries as “the most important bilateral ties in the world” and said China was committed to building a “relationship of strategic stability” with the United States.
Taiwan quickly emerged as a central issue during the talks.
Calling it “the most important issue” in U.S.-China relations, Xi warned that Washington “must exercise extra caution in handling the Taiwan question.”
“If it is handled properly, the bilateral relationship will enjoy overall stability,” Xi told Trump, according to NPR. “Otherwise, the two countries will have clashes and even conflicts, putting the entire relationship in great jeopardy.”
Xi added that “‘Taiwan independence’ and cross-Strait peace are as irreconcilable as fire and water,” while describing stability in the Taiwan Strait as “the biggest common denominator between China and the U.S.”
China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has not ruled out using force to bring the self-governing island under Beijing’s control. The United States continues to provide arms to Taiwan while maintaining a policy of strategic ambiguity regarding military intervention.
A White House statement later described the meeting as “good” and said the two sides discussed expanding economic cooperation, market access for American businesses, and increased Chinese investment in U.S. industries. The statement did not mention Taiwan.
The leaders also discussed fentanyl, agricultural trade, and global energy security. According to the White House, Trump and Xi agreed that the Strait of Hormuz must remain open as concerns continue over disruptions tied to tensions involving Iran.
Xi also raised the idea of avoiding what he called the “Thucydides Trap,” a term used to describe how tensions between rising and established powers have historically led to war.
At a state banquet Thursday evening, Trump referred to Xi as a “friend” and said the two countries had an opportunity to “create a future of greater prosperity, cooperation and happiness,” CNBC reported. He also invited Xi to visit the United States in September.
Xi said “mutual respect” was necessary for stable ties and stressed that “cooperation benefits both sides, while confrontation harms both,” according to NPR.
The summit comes after months of trade tensions between the world’s two largest economies. Last year, the two countries stepped back from escalating tariffs and export restrictions following talks in South Korea, resulting in what analysts have described as a fragile trade truce.
Trade remains a major focus of the visit. Before the truce, U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods climbed into triple digits, while Beijing restricted exports of rare earth minerals critical to electronics and weapons manufacturing.
Discussions this week are also expected to include Chinese purchases of U.S. agricultural products, including soybeans, and broader trade issues involving technology and manufacturing.
Trump’s delegation includes several top U.S. business executives, among them Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Apple CEO Tim Cook, and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang.
Xi told the business leaders that U.S. companies were contributing to China’s economic reforms and said “the door to China for U.S. business would only get wider,” per NPR.
Trump said American companies “look forward to trade and doing business, and it’s going to be totally reciprocal on our behalf.”
Following their formal meetings, Trump and Xi visited Beijing’s Temple of Heaven, a historic site traditionally associated with imperial ceremonies and prayers for harvests.
The summit is scheduled to conclude on Friday after additional meetings and a working lunch between the two leaders.
