USA14 May, 20263 min read
Xi Jinping Warns Donald Trump Over Taiwan During Beijing Summit Talks
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Taiwan disagreements could derail U.S.-China relations. Xi pledged greater market access for US and global trade.
Trump, Xi in Beijing
Donald Trump arrived in Beijing for talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People, where Trump said, "It's an honour to be your friend, and the relationship between China and the US is going to be better than ever before." Xi told Trump that the "Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-US relations" and warned that "If mishandled, the two nations could collide or even come into conflict." The BBC described how Trump’s China rhetoric had driven a trade war, with tariffs climbing from 10% in February 2025 to 145% by mid-April’s "Liberation Day," while China struck back with 125% tariffs and blocked rare earth exports.
“It's an honour to be your friend, and the relationship between China and the US is going to be better than ever before.”
The BBC also said that amid the summit’s pleasantries, outstanding issues remained chiefly Taiwan, and it noted that the White House read-out made no mention of Taiwan while the Chinese read-out made it central. In Beijing, France 24 reported that Xi promised more trade while warning Trump over Taiwan, as the two leaders met on the first day of a two-day summit.
Hawks, protocol, and tone
Critics in the Make America Great Again movement seized on the summit’s tone, with former Trump strategist Steve Bannon telling Politico that "I am shocked, given how much people wanted to make this into a positive spirit, he [Xi] started with a threat." The BBC said that despite the friendly reception, hardline positions against China reflected the traditionally more hawkish stance of Trump’s Republican Party, including the issue of Taiwan and the fate of a delayed $14bn arms sale. In a separate account of the visit’s reception, Indy100 reported that Mary L Trump wrote, "Xi couldn't be bothered to meet Donald at the airport because he understands as well as Donald does that humiliating your underlings is a great way to keep them in check."
Indy100 also quoted Isabelle Vladoiu, founder of the US Institute of Diplomacy and Human Rights, saying, "Xi Jinping did not personally greet Trump at the airport in 2017 either, but this time Beijing noticeably upgraded the reception." The BBC added that even China hawks stayed largely silent after the trip, and it quoted David Firestein saying, "If you had 50 presidential summits in one month or one year, it still wouldn't change the fact that there are some issues on which the US and China are simply never going to agree."
Arms sale and what’s at risk
The BBC said Trump delivered few details on the fate of a delayed $14bn arms sale viewed as essential by Democrats and Republican China "hawks" alike, and it quoted Trump telling reporters on Air Force One that he would make a "determination over the next fairly short period" about the sale. The BBC also reported that a bipartisan group of senators sent a letter urging Trump to move ahead with the sale and "formally" notify his Chinese counterpart, while the Chinese read-out made Taiwan its central point. In Beijing, France 24 reported that Xi warned missteps on Taiwan could push the two countries into "conflict," and it quoted Xi saying the Taiwan issue could lead to "clashes and even conflicts, putting the entire relationship in great jeopardy."
The BBC said the White House read-out made no mention of Taiwan, even as the Chinese statement was seen as a threat by some within the broader Make America Great Again movement. With no major breakthrough confirmed, the BBC described the summit as occurring after a period of sanctions and tariffs, including the US state department sanctioning three Chinese firms for providing satellite imagery to Iran to help strike US forces in the Middle East less than a week before the summit.