Taiwan downplays Xi-Trump talks
Taiwan said nothing surprising had emerged from the talks between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump.
“So at this point, all we can say is that there has been no surprising information so far and we will continue to maintain close communication with the American side,” Mainland Affairs Council Deputy Head and spokesman Liang Wen-chieh said.
China, which views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, has long treated the island’s status as a core issue in its relations with Washington.
DW China analyst Clifford Connan said Beijing views the question of Taiwan’s legal status as “a red line” that must not be crossed in diplomatic relations with the United States.
This was underlined by Xi during his meeting with Trump.
“The Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-US relations,” Xi said, according to remarks published by Chinese state media.
In its summary of the meeting, which lasted more than two hours, the White House did not mention Taiwan.
WATCH: Power, optics and the battle for global influence as Trump meets Xi
US President Donald Trump is in China on a visit that could determine who gets to set the global agenda. Already, Chinese President Xi Jinping has warned that supposed mishandling of the Taiwan issue could put China-US ties in a ‘very dangerous situation.’ Trump has meanwhile said its an ‘honor’ to be Xi’s friend.
Join us live as we follow this historic meeting, from an awkward handshake to a state dinner. Ben Fajzullin chats with DW China analyst Clifford Connan and DW Taipei Correspondent Rik Glauert.
No mention of Taiwan in US readout of ‘good’ Trump-Xi meeting
The White House described the meeting between Presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump as “good.”
In a readout of the meeting, it said the two leaders agreed the Strait of Hormuz must remain open to support the free flow of energy. The White House said both leaders agreed Iran can never have a nuclear weapon.
Trump and Xi also discussed continuing efforts to stop fentanyl precursor chemicals from entering the US and increasing China’s purchases of US agricultural products, the statement said.
What to know if you’re joining us now
China’s Xi Jinping welcomed President Donald Trump with the same kind of pomp at the Great Hall of the People in Tiananmen Square as he did in 2017.
Trump shook hands with top Chinese officials, as did Xi with top American officials.
The leaders of the two superpowers then went back inside the Great Hall for bilateral talks behind closed doors.
A Chinese readout of the discussions said the pair discussed a range of thorny issues, including the Taiwan question and the situation in the Middle East, Ukraine and the Korean Peninsula.
Trump is accompanied by his son, Eric, and a host of business leaders, including Apple’s Tim Cook, Nvidia’s Jensen Huang and Tesla’s Elon Musk.
Trump concludes tour of Beijing’s Temple of Heaven
Donald Trump has posed for photos with Xi Jinping at Beijing’s Temple of Heaven during a high-profile meeting.
Trump did not speak publicly as the two leaders appeared together following their arrival at the historic site, after a pomp-filled red carpet ceremony at the Great Hall of the People.
The World Heritage site is the spot where China’s emperors once prayed for good harvests.
Trump and Xi were expected to return to the Great Hall of the People for an evening state banquet.
Trump-XI meeting ends
The meeting between President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping has ended, according to a White House pool report. It lasted 2 hours and 15 minutes.
Xi tells Trump US, China could ‘come into conflict’ if Taiwan issue mishandled: state media
China’s President Xi Jinping has told Donald Trump that their countries could come into conflict if the issue over Taiwan is mishandled, Chinese state media said.
“The Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-US relations,” Xi said, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
“If mishandled, the two nations could collide or even come into conflict, pushing the entire China-US relationship into a highly perilous situation.”
China also restated on Wednesday its opposition to a recent US weapons deal with Taiwan.
China claims self-governed Taiwan as part of its territory and says it must be “reunified” with the mainland.
It has intensified military activities and drills around Taiwan in recent years, most recently in December 2025 when China stimulated a blockade of Taiwan’s ports.
Over time, China’s rhetoric has changed from preventing Taiwan’s independence to actively promoting unification.
For its part, the US continues to support Taiwan politically and militarily.
Musk shouts ‘wonderful’ to reporters as US CEOs leave Great Hall of the People
Sighted leaving the Great Hall of the People as Trump was arriving were leaders of US businesses, including Apple CEO Tim Cook, Tesla founder Elon Musk and Jensen Huang from tech giant Nvidia.
When asked how meetings were going, Musk said “wonderful,” while Cook gave a thumbs up and Huang said, “the meetings went well.”
They then left on a waiting bus.
Also seen attending the welcome ceremony were Secretary of State Marco Rubioand Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Zheng Shanjie, head of the economic planning agency, were among the Chinese representatives present.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and his Chinese counterpart Dong Jun were later visible in video footage as the Trump and Xi delegations started their meeting.
US and China should be ‘partners not rivals’ — Xi
Before heading into their meeting on Thursday morning, Xi told Trump that their two countries should be “partners not rivals.”
“A stable China-US relationship is a boon for the world. Cooperation benefits both sides, while confrontation harms both. We should be partners and not rivals,” Xi said.
Xi added he was “happy” to receive Trump for the US leader’s first trip to China since 2017 as “the world has arrived at a new crossroads.”
For his part, Trump told Xi, “We’re going to have a fantastic future together.”
Source : https://www.dw.com/en/china-warns-trump-over-taiwan-question-at-high-stakes-summit/live-77140304
