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Chinese President Xi Jinping warned his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, that the contented of Taiwan could propulsion their 2 countries into “conflict” if mishandled, a stark opening salvo arsenic a superpower acme acceptable to tackle galore thorny issues began successful Beijing connected Thursday (May 14, 2026).
Mr. Trump had arrived successful China with accolades for his host, calling Xi a “great leader” and “friend”, arsenic helium predicted that their countries would person “a fantastic aboriginal together”.
But beyond the pomp arsenic helium welcomed Mr. Trump, Mr. Xi utilized little effusive tones, saying the 2 sides “should beryllium partners and not rivals” and highlighting the contented of self-ruled antiauthoritarian Taiwan — which Beijing claims arsenic its territory — consecutive disconnected the bat.
“The Taiwan question is the astir important contented successful China-US relations,” Mr. Xi said, according to authorities broadcaster CCTV.
“If mishandled, the 2 nations could collide oregon adjacent travel into conflict, pushing the full China-US narration into a highly perilous situation.”
Also Read | Key events successful ties among United States, China and Taiwan
The travel to Beijing is the archetypal by a U.S. President successful astir a decade, with the expansive reception belying a big of unresolved commercialized and geopolitical tensions betwixt the 2 countries.
Mr. Xi greeted Mr. Trump with a red-carpet invited astatine the opulent Great Hall of the People, with subject set fanfare, a weapon salute and a big of schoolchildren jumping and chanting “welcome!”.
Seemingly enjoying the ceremony, Mr. Trump said “the narration betwixt China and the USA is going to beryllium amended than ever before”.
Mr. Xi alternatively referenced an past Greek governmental mentation astir the risks of warfare erstwhile a rising powerfulness rivals a ruling power, arsenic helium questioned if China and the U.S. could find ways to enactment unneurotic arsenic equals instead.
“Can China and the United States transcend the alleged ‘Thucydides Trap’ and forge a caller paradigm for major-power relations?” Mr. Xi asked, adding that “cooperation benefits some sides, portion confrontation harms both”.
There has been plentifulness of the second since Mr. Trump’s past sojourn successful 2017, with the 2 countries having spent overmuch of 2025 embroiled successful a dizzying commercialized warfare and astatine likelihood connected galore large planetary issues.
Taiwan, Iran
Taiwan is simply a longstanding sore point.
The United States recognises lone Beijing but nether home instrumentality is required to supply weapons to Taiwan truthful that it tin support itself.
China has sworn to instrumentality Taiwan and has not ruled retired utilizing force, ramping up subject unit astir the land successful caller years.
Mr. Trump said connected Monday (May 11) helium would talk to Mr. Xi astir U.S. arms income to Taiwan, which would beryllium a departure from historical U.S. insistence that it volition not consult Beijing connected its enactment for the island.
A caller summation to the database of contentious issues, the Iran war, threatens to weaken Mr. Trump’s presumption successful the talks, having already forced him to postpone his travel from March.
The U.S. President said helium expected a “long talk” with Mr. Xi astir Iran, which sells astir of its U.S.-sanctioned lipid to China, but insisted that “I don’t deliberation we request immoderate assistance with Iran” from Beijing.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, known passim his vocation arsenic a fierce hostile of Beijing, struck a somewhat antithetic tone.
“We anticipation to person them to play a much progressive relation successful getting Iran to locomotion distant from what they are doing now, and trying to bash present successful the Persian Gulf,” Mr. Rubio told broadcaster Fox News in an interrogation aired connected Wednesday (May 14, 2026).
Trade and tariffs
Top of Mr. Trump’s privation database for the acme volition beryllium concern deals connected agriculture, craft and different topics.
Elite businessmen successful the U.S. leader’s delegation, including Nvidia’s Jensen Huang and Tesla’s Elon Musk, were connected the stairs of the Great Hall of the People connected Thursday for the invited ceremony.
Mr. Musk told reporters afterwards the gathering had been “wonderful”, portion Mr. Huang said the 2 Presidents “were incredible”.
The long-simmering commercialized warfare betwixt the 2 countries volition besides beryllium prominent, arsenic Mr Trump’s sweeping tariffs past twelvemonth triggered tit-for-tat levies that exceeded 100%.
Mr Trump and Mr Xi are acceptable to sermon extending a one-year tariff truce that the 2 leaders reached during their past gathering successful South Korea successful October, though a woody is acold from certain.
China’s controls connected uncommon world exports and AI rivalry are among different topics expected to beryllium taken up by the 2 heads of State.
Mr. Trump volition beryllium treated to a authorities banquet successful the evening with Xi, and volition besides sojourn the historical Temple of Heaven, a World Heritage tract wherever China’s emperors erstwhile prayed for bully harvest.
