Xi Warns US Over Taiwan As Trump Calls Chinese President A 'Great Leader' At High-Stakes Beijing Summit

US President Donald Trump met Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday in what is being viewed as a high-stakes and consequential meeting amid rising geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty.

In his opening remarks,  Xi called for China and the US to be “partners not rivals", while Trump described Xi as a "great leader" and stated that the relationship between the superpowers will be "better than ever before".

Coming in the aftermath of the costly Iran war and a fragile ceasefire currently in place, Trump is expected to discuss the Strait of Hormuz issue with China, which maintains close ties with Iran. Trade and economic relations are also expected to feature prominently in the talks.

China has meanwhile reiterated its opposition to recent US arms deals with Taiwan, which is claimed by China, underlining one of the key flashpoints in relations between the two powers.

For Thursday’s opening ceremony, Trump arrived at the Great Hall of the People on the western edge of Beijing’s historic Tiananmen Square. The two leaders shook hands on the red carpet. Visuals from the venue showed a grand display of armed officers lining the pathway as the two leaders walked together.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Nvidia chief Jensen Huang were among the “top 30” business leaders accompanying Trump on the China visit.

Xi congratulated Trump and the US on the 250th anniversary of independence, while also remarking towards a restructuring of relationship between the two giants, saying that the vital question is: Can China and the US overcome the Thucydides trap and create a new paradigm of relations? Can we meet global challenges together and provide more stability for the world? 

Trump, in response, said that it was "an honour" to meet Xi. He added that the two had gotten along in difficult times.  

“I would call you and you would call me," Trump said. "People don't know, whenever we had a problem we worked it out very quickly."

After the remarks and an elaborate arrival ceremony, Trump and Xi held closed-door talks for over two hour.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Trump described the visit positively, saying, “It’s great. Great place, incredible. China is beautiful.”

However, Xi also delivered a warning over Taiwan, cautioning that disagreements regarding the Beijing-claimed island could place US-China relations in “great jeopardy.”

According to a post on X by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning, Xi stressed to Trump that Taiwan remains the most important issue in US-China relations and said that if it is handled properly, ties between the two countries can maintain “overall stability.”

“Otherwise, the two countries will have clashes and even conflicts, putting the entire relationship in great jeopardy,” Mao Ning wrote.

Thursday’s meeting between Trump and Xi lasted around two hours and 15 minutes, roughly 35 minutes longer than their previous meeting in Busan, South Korea, in October last year, which eased the trade war that had raged for months.

Xi also told a delegation of American business executives that China would continue expanding its openness to the world economy. “China's doors to the outside world will open wider and wider... American companies will enjoy even brighter prospects in China,” Xi said, according to Chinese state media.

Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung had said on Monday that the country is “confident” in the stable development of its ties with the US, and that Washington has repeatedly said its policy towards the island will not change. In December, the Trump administration approved arms sales of $11 billion to Taiwan, the largest ever.   Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun  on Tuesday told reporters in Beijing that China’s “firm opposition to US arms sales to China's Taiwan region is consistent and clear.”

Trump said on Monday that he intended to discuss US arms sales to Taiwan with Xi during his visit.

After the talks, Trump and Xi visited the Temple of Heaven, with no other activities scheduled for the afternoon until a banquet dinner later this evening.