Xi Warns Trump Mishandling Taiwan Could Trigger Clashes and Conflicts at Beijing Summit

President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping held their first round of talks in Beijing that lasted about two hours, and the agenda included the future of Taiwan alongside the Iran war and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, NBC News reported via Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

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Xi warned Trump that mishandling Taiwan would cause "clashes and even conflicts, putting the entire relationship in great jeopardy," according to China’s foreign ministry, while the U.S. readout focused on trade and the Iran war, NBC News said.

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Trump told Xi, "You're a great leader, sometimes people don’t like me saying it, but I say it anyway," as they kicked off two days of talks on Thursday set to cover their fragile trade truce, the Iran war, and US arms sales to Taiwan, the Jerusalem Post reported.

The CBS News account said Xi stressed that "the Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-U.S. relations," and warned that if it is not handled properly, the two countries will have clashes and even conflicts.

In parallel, CNN reported Trump said his military campaign against Iran is "to be continued!" as he met Xi again in a few hours, framing the ceasefire as fragile.

Xi’s Taiwan warning was echoed in CBS News’ account of a Chinese foreign ministry message, where Xi said "the Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-U.S. relations" and tied proper handling to stability.

In the same summit, NBC News said Secretary of State Marco Rubio told NBC News that Trump discussed the Iran war and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz with Xi, adding that the U.S. was not asking for China’s help with Iran.

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CNN reported that Xi told Trump, "We must make it work and never mess it up," while Xi also said Taiwan "is the most important issue in China-US relations" and it could create a "highly dangerous situation" if mishandled.

CBS News said Trump told Fox News’ Sean Hannity that Xi said he’s not going to give Iran any military equipment, which Trump called a "big statement," and CBS described the White House as characterizing the meeting as "good."

The Jerusalem Post described Trump’s opening remarks to Xi as they sat across from their delegations, with Trump calling Xi a great leader and a friend and saying, "the relationship between China and the USA is going to be better than ever before," as talks covered trade, Iran, and Taiwan.

The summit’s stakes centered on whether the Strait of Hormuz remains open and whether Taiwan tensions can be managed, with the U.S. readout saying the two sides agreed the Strait of Hormuz must remain open and free of tolls, CNBC reported.

CNBC also reported Xi stressed that the Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-U.S. relations and warned that if it is not handled "properly," it could put "the entire relationship in great jeopardy," as the leaders met at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People.

DW said the talks lasted more than two hours and that China said Xi told Trump that if Taiwan is handled well, US-China relations will be stable, while the White House said the two leaders agreed the Strait of Hormuz should be open.

CNN reported IMF spokesperson Julie Kozack said, "We’re clearly moving out of the reference scenario toward the adverse scenario," linking the meeting to global economic uncertainty as the IMF planned a more thorough assessment in an updated report in July.

In the background of the diplomacy, CNN said White House officials were advised of serious possible cybersecurity risks while traveling in the country, with officials given burner phones and devices with new numbers and warned that hardware could potentially be compromised while in the country.