{"id":6065,"date":"2026-05-14T11:31:44","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T11:31:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=6065"},"modified":"2026-05-14T11:31:44","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T11:31:44","slug":"chinas-xi-warns-trump-that-differences-over-taiwan-could-lead-to-conflict","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=6065","title":{"rendered":"China\u2019s Xi warns Trump that differences over Taiwan could lead to conflict"},"content":{"rendered":"

By WILL WEISSERT and AAMER MADHANI<\/strong><\/p>\n

BEIJING (AP) \u2014 China\u2019s Xi Jinping warned President Donald Trump on Thursday that the two countries could clash over Taiwan if the issue was not handled properly, an unusually harsh admonition that stood in contrast to the American leader\u2019s praise for his counterpart.<\/p>

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The exchange at a highly anticipated summit in Beijing underscored just how far apart Trump and Xi remain on thorny issues, including the war in Iran, trade disputes and Washington\u2019s relations with Taiwan, which is self-ruled but which China claims as part of its territory.<\/p>\n

It also suggested that Trump\u2019s three-day visit to China is likely to be longer on pageantry and symbolism than substantive political or economic breakthroughs.<\/p>\n

The pair met for about two hours behind closed doors at the Great Hall of the People after an elaborate welcome ceremony featuring booming cannons, a band playing \u201cThe Star-Spangled Banner\u201d and China\u2019s national anthem, and hundreds of school children waving flowers and American and Chinese flags.<\/p>\n

According to a post on X by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning, Xi told Trump that \u201cthe Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-U.S. relations.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf 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,\u201d she wrote.<\/p>\n

That came after a brief public exchange before the meeting began in which Trump offered platitudes, telling Xi: \u201cYou\u2019re a great leader. Sometimes people don\u2019t like me saying it, but I say it anyway, because it\u2019s true.\u201d<\/p>

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\u201cIt\u2019s an honor to be your friend,\u201d Trump said before promising that \u201cthe relationship between China and the USA is going to be better than ever before.\u201d<\/p>\n

Xi was far more stark than Trump in his opening remarks, expressing hope that the U.S. and China could avoid conflict and asking \u201cwhether the two countries can transcend the \u2018Thucydides Trap\u2019 and forge a new model for relations between major powers.\u201d<\/p>\n

That\u2019s a term, popular in foreign policy studies, that refers to the idea that when a rising power threatens to displace an established power, the result is often war. Xi\u2019s use of the term as Trump offered optimism was noteworthy and foreshadowed his closed-door comments about Taiwan.<\/p>\n

Xi nonetheless struck a more conciliatory tone when describing the overall relationship. \u201cCooperation benefits both sides, while confrontation harms both,\u201d Xi said. \u201cThe two countries should be partners rather than rivals.\u201d<\/p>

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