Xi urges cooperation with Trump and warns mishandling Taiwan could trigger conflict

The U.S. president says after talks in Beijing that both countries will have “a fantastic future together”

Presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump held a meeting lasting more than two hours in Beijing on Thursday alongside their respective delegations, during a summit dominated by the trade truce, technological rivalry and tensions surrounding Taiwan.

The meeting began with a carefully choreographed ceremony in Tiananmen Square, decorated with the flags of China and the United States. The two leaders greeted each other outside the Great Hall of the People, listened to the national anthems and reviewed an honor guard as a cannon salute rang out.

The ceremony continued with a walk along a long red carpet before dozens of children waving the flags of both nations and welcoming the U.S. delegation. Trump described the reception as “an honor.”

At the opening of the talks, Xi stressed the need to strengthen bilateral cooperation and ease tensions between the world’s two largest powers.

“The shared interests of China and the United States outweigh their differences,” the Chinese president said, calling for both countries to “achieve success together” and “pursue common prosperity.”

Xi also reiterated that “trade wars have no winners” and praised the progress made during recent economic talks held in Seoul between representatives of both countries.

Trump, for his part, highlighted the strong personal relationship between the two leaders and said Washington and Beijing had managed to resolve disagreements quickly.

“We have a fantastic relationship. Whenever we’ve had difficulties, we solved them very quickly, and that’s why we’re going to have a fantastic future together,” the U.S. president said.

The Republican leader also praised Xi as “a great leader” and said he was honored to consider him “a friend.”

Beijing issues warning over Taiwan

The tone hardened when discussions turned to Taiwan, one of the main flashpoints between the two powers.

Xi warned Trump that mishandling relations with the island could lead to a “clash” between China and the United States and “even conflict.” The Chinese president reiterated that Taiwan is “the most important issue” in bilateral relations and said any move toward “Taiwanese independence” is incompatible with stability in the Taiwan Strait.

China considers Taiwan an inseparable part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to achieve reunification.

The visit’s agenda includes further bilateral meetings, an official banquet hosted by Xi and discussions focused on trade, technology and international security. Among the issues both leaders are expected to address is the war in Iran, another point of friction between Washington and Beijing.

Trump attended the meeting accompanied by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. Ambassador to China David Perdue. Several prominent American business leaders also traveled to Beijing, including Elon Musk, chief executive of Tesla; Tim Cook, head of Apple; and Jensen Huang, chief executive of Nvidia.

Representing China were senior officials including Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Commerce Minister Wang Wentao.