Chinese President Xi Jinping warned President Trump Thursday that “clashes and even conflicts” over Taiwan could imperil economic ties between the world’s two largest economies.
Mr. Xi issued the stark warning as the two men met for high-stakes talks in Beijing to start their two-day summit. It also contrasted the public praise the leaders offered each other during the welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
The Chinese president emphasized that Taiwan is the most important issue in China-U.S. relations and, if handled well, could improve overall stability between the two nations, according to a readout of the meeting provided by the Chinese government. Mr. Xi said, however, that if handled poorly, the two countries will have “clashes and even conflicts putting the entire relationship in jeopardy.”
Mr. Xi went on to say that Taiwan independence and peace across the Taiwan Strait are incompatible and the “U.S. must handle the Taiwan issue with utmost caution,” according to the readout.
Taiwan is a self-ruling democracy that Beijing considers to be Chinese territory and has vowed to take by force if necessary. The Trump administration has repeatedly said that U.S. policy on Taiwan is not expected to change.
Some Taiwanese officials feared that Mr. Trump would be willing to make concessions to Mr. Xi on Taiwan in order to secure help with other issues, such as the war in Iran and a trade deal. One Taiwanese official said the nation feared it would be “on the menu” during the summit.
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The U.S. readout of Mr. Trump’s meeting with Mr. Xi did not mention Taiwan and described the summit as a “good meeting” focused on economic cooperation and trade.
Instead, the U.S. readout focused heavily on the Iran war, which has loomed large over the summit and caused Mr. Trump’s trip to China to be postponed by six weeks. China has close ties to Iran and Mr. Trump said it could be helpful to bring the war to an end.
The White House readout said Mr. Xi expressed opposition to the militarization of the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial shipping route that has been effectively shut down by Iran, sending oil and gas prices soaring.
Mr. Xi also said he was interested in buying American oil to lessen China’s dependence on Iranian oil and agreed that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon, according to the White House readout.
The day began with a lavish welcome ceremony in which both leaders stressed the need for cooperation between the world’s two superpowers as they seek to stabilize a trade agreement and find common ground amid uncertainty over the Iran conflict.
The two leaders shook hands outside Beijing’s Great Hall of the People on Thursday morning local time, which was late Wednesday night in Washington.
SEE ALSO: Xi tells Trump that U.S., China should be ‘partners, not rivals’
They appeared chatty and friendly as they exchanged a warm handshake after Mr. Trump’s arrival, which touched off an elaborate welcome ceremony featuring a Chinese military band playing “The Star Spangled Banner” and schoolchildren cheering the U.S. president with pompoms and jumping.
During the meeting, both offered a rosy assessment of the U.S.-China relationship before reporters were moved out of the room and talks between the two sides began.
“A stable bilateral relationship is good for the world,” Mr. Xi said through a translator. “We should be partners, not rivals.”
Mr. Trump underscored his friendship with Mr. Xi, calling him a friend and a “great leader,” adding that he had “such respect” for the Chinese president.
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