Taiwan emerged as a major flashpoint between China and the United States, with Beijing warning of possible “clashes and even conflicts” if the issue is not handled properly during talks between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
While Trump stayed quiet on question about Taiwan after his meeting with Xi, Beijing later confirmed the issue was raised during the summit.
When asked repeatedly whether Taiwan came up during the talks, Trump avoided engaging with the question, instead keeping emphasis on general talks with Xi saying, “It’s great. Great place, incredible. China is beautiful.”
Meanwhile, according to a Chinese foreign ministry readout, Xi told Trump that the “Taiwan question” remains the most important issue in US-China ties.
“‘Taiwan independence’ and cross-Strait peace are as irreconcilable as fire and water,” Xi said, warning that if the issue is not “handled properly”, the two countries “will have clashes and even conflicts, putting the entire relationship in great jeopardy.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also seemed to sidestep remarking on China's warning but tell media that Washington’s stance had not shifted, while also cautioning Beijing against using force.
“US policy on the issue of Taiwan is unchanged as of today and as of the meeting that we had here today. It was raised. They always raise it on their side. We always make clear our position, and we move on to the other topics,” Rubio said in an interview with NBC News while travelling with Trump in China. He added that it would be “a terrible mistake” for China to attempt to take Taiwan by force.
