Xi Jinping issued a stark warning to the US during President Trump's diplomatic trip to Beijing.
Chinese President Xi Jinping warned President Donald Trump that mishandling the Taiwan issue could plunge the US and China into 'clashes and even conflicts.' The stark statement was a highlight moment of Trump's Beijing visit, when the two world leaders met for a high‑stakes summit.
Xi Jinping's unusually blunt language undercut the otherwise ceremonial meeting. Asserting China's position on cross‑Strait relations as the 'most important issue' in China‑US ties, he also insisted that the Taiwan issue is strictly an internal Chinese matter.
Xi Jinping's Sobering Warning to Trump and the US
'If it is handled properly, the bilateral relationship will enjoy overall stability. Otherwise, the two countries will have clashes and even conflicts, putting the entire relationship in great jeopardy,' relayed Mao Ning, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Her statement prefaced the meeting in which Trump reportedly set the tone by complimenting Xi.
'You're a great leader. Sometimes people don't like me saying it, but I say it anyway, because it's true,' Trump said, according to Express US. 'It's an honour to be with you. It's an honour to be your friend.' He also vowed that 'the relationship between China and the USA is going to be better than ever before.'
The tonal contrasts between Trump's and Xi's statements have sparked concerns over mounting conflict, with Xi's warning interpreted as a thinly veiled threat. Xi explicitly questioned whether China and the US can transcend the 'Thucydides Trap,' a political theory that asserts the probability of war whenever a ruling power is displaced by a rising threat.
'Cooperation benefits both sides, while confrontation harms both,' Xi said. 'The two countries should be partners rather than rivals.' It's not the first time he has invoked the Thucydides Trap theory, having used the expression to describe US-China relations in 2014.
US-China Tension Stems From Taiwan Arms Deal
Xi's doubts stem from the US plans to sell arms to Taiwan. The Trump administration approved about £8.2 billion ($11 billion) for the weapons deal, pending delivery of the hardware. Xi is also reportedly wary of Trump's ambiguity when it comes to the US supporting Taiwan.
Xi's hardline stance on Taiwan came amid a broader push to deter U.S. military and political support for the self‑ruled island, which Beijing insists is its own territory. Citing Taiwan's importance to his domestic legacy, he has repeatedly left the door open to using force, asserting that Taiwan independence is 'fundamentally incompatible with peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.'
President Trump's 'Vow' Threatens US-China Peace
Trump, for his part, has vowed not to abandon Taiwan's defence and has previously declared that Washington 'will honour its commitments' to the island, even as he has also mused about possible trade‑off deals with Beijing.
He also said that managing Taiwan 'could be the biggest deal maker or deal breaker' in long‑term US-China relations, a stance that complicates Xi's demand for unconditional adherence to the 'One China' principle.
Trump maintained optimism on Truth Social, highlighting at least one commonality between China and the US. 'China has a Ballroom, and so should the U.S.A.!' he wrote. 'Thank you for all the support I have been given in getting this project going. Scheduled opening will be around September of 2028. The man I am walking with is President Xi, of China, one of the World's Great Leaders!'
