Xi Jinping Warns Donald Trump Taiwan Mishandling Could Spark Conflicts in Beijing Summit

Chinese leader Xi Jinping warned President Donald Trump on Thursday that “conflicts” could emerge if the two powers mishandle Taiwan, with Xi saying Beijing’s top priority in talks with the United States is “the fate of the contested island.”

“Chinese President Xi Jinping had stern words for President Trump on Taiwan as they met in Beijing on Thursday, warning of potential "clashes and even conflicts" if the issue isn't "handled properly," according to Chinese state media”

CBS News

The warning came during a summit in Beijing where Xi and Trump also sought to stabilize their trading relationship after last year’s trade war, according to CBS News.

CBS News

CBS News said the closed-door session lasted roughly two hours and 15 minutes, while the White House characterized the meeting as “good.”

In the same Beijing setting, Politico reported that Chinese officials stressed Xi “stressed to President Trump that the Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-U.S. relations.”

Taiwan’s government cabinet spokesperson Michelle Lee said Taipei is “grateful for the firm U.S support of the island,” adding that “The U.S. has also repeatedly reiterated its firm and clear position of support for Taiwan,” according to NPR.

NPR reported that Xi told Trump, “If it is handled properly, the bilateral relationship will enjoy overall stability,” while warning that otherwise “the two countries will have clashes and even conflicts.”

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CBS News said the White House did not mention Taiwan in its description of the meeting, even as Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning posted on X that Xi warned the Taiwan question is “the most important issue in China-U.S. relations.”

Politico similarly noted that a White House official “conspicuously didn’t mention Taiwan in a statement to the media,” while discussing keeping the Strait of Hormuz open and other topics.

Beyond Taiwan, the White House said Xi and Trump agreed the Strait of Hormuz should be open, and CBS News reported that the leaders also discussed ways to enhance economic cooperation, including expanding market access for American businesses into China and increasing Chinese investment.

DW reported that Trump invited Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, to visit the White House on 24 September, while also saying the two leaders avoided controversial topics in their public speeches.

CBS News said Xi reserved his sharpest language for Taiwan, warning that “‘Taiwan independence’ and cross-Strait peace are as irreconcilable as fire and water,” and that safeguarding peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is the biggest common denominator between China and the U.S.

In parallel, CNBC said the summit readouts described a “constructive China-U.S. relationship of strategic stability” and quoted Xi calling for “measured competition” with manageable differences, as the Taiwan issue remained the highest-stakes point.