Chinese leader Xi Jinping warned US President Donald Trump that mishandling the Taiwan issue could push US‑China relations toward confrontation, delivering a stark message amid an otherwise ceremonially warm two‑day visit to Beijing.
The leaders held more than two hours of talks at the Great Hall of the People, followed by a photo visit to the Temple of Heaven and a state banquet where Xi described US‑China ties as the world’s most important. Trump called the first day “fantastic” and invited Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan to the White House in September.
State media quoted Xi as saying the Taiwan question is the “most important issue” in bilateral relations and warned that if it were mishandled the two sides “could collide or even come into conflict.” Beijing reiterated its opposition to recent US arms sales to Taiwan and has stepped up military pressure around the island in recent years.
Taiwan’s government played down the summit’s outcome, saying nothing surprising emerged and that it will keep close communication with Washington. Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council also warned Beijing remains the main risk to regional peace and stability.
The White House readout of the meeting avoided mention of Taiwan, instead emphasizing cooperation on trade, energy and security. Officials said Trump and Xi agreed the Strait of Hormuz must remain open for the free flow of energy and that Iran should never acquire nuclear weapons. Trump later told US media that Xi offered to help reopen the Hormuz shipping route and vowed not to arm Iran, remarks that underscored Beijing’s leverage given its close ties to Tehran.
US officials accompanying Trump sought to temper concern that Washington had shelved Taiwan. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Trump would speak more on Taiwan “in the coming days,” and Secretary of State Marco Rubio said US policy toward Taiwan remained unchanged.
Other outcomes highlighted by the US included joint concern over fentanyl precursor chemicals and talks about increasing Chinese purchases of US agricultural products. China and the US also discussed broader regional crises, including Ukraine, the Middle East and the Korean Peninsula, according to Chinese media.
China’s premier, Li Qiang, met with US business leaders traveling with the president — including Tesla’s Elon Musk, Apple’s Tim Cook and Nvidia’s Jensen Huang — urging deeper cooperation and praising continued dialogue despite global turbulence. The CEOs emerged from meetings upbeat; one was heard calling discussions “wonderful.”
The summit combined high‑stakes diplomacy with careful optics: formal handshakes, matched speeches that largely avoided public confrontation, and a tightly choreographed schedule. The leaders are set to hold further talks and a tea reception before Trump departs Beijing.
Analysts noted the balancing act: both sides sought to show stability and cooperation while leaving competing red lines — especially over Taiwan — unresolved. The summit underscored how the US and China can negotiate on shared interests such as energy security and trade, while serious strategic disagreements remain and could flare if either side tests Beijing’s stated limits on Taiwan.