By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Chinese leader Xi Jinping warned President Donald Trump during a summit in Beijing on Thursday that disputes over Taiwan could place U.S.-China relations in serious jeopardy, setting a tense tone for talks between the two global powers despite a ceremonial state welcome and discussions aimed at expanding cooperation.
Trump’s visit marked the first trip to China by a sitting American president in nearly a decade. Chinese officials staged an elaborate reception at the Great Hall of the People, featuring military honors, a 21-gun salute, and groups of schoolchildren greeting the American delegation.
Speaking at the opening of the summit, Xi said the two nations should view each other as partners rather than rivals, while emphasizing Taiwan as the central issue in bilateral relations.
“The Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-U.S. relations,” Xi said, according to remarks released by Chinese state media.
“If mishandled, the two nations could collide or even come into conflict, pushing the entire China-U.S. relationship into a highly perilous situation,” he added.
Trump praised Xi during the visit, calling the Chinese leader a “great leader” and “friend,” while inviting him to visit the White House in September.
“The relationship between China and the USA is going to be better than ever before,” Trump said during the ceremonial events.
Xi also referenced the geopolitical concept commonly known as the “Thucydides Trap,” which describes the potential for conflict when a rising global power challenges an established one.
“Can China and the United States transcend the so-called ‘Thucydides Trap’ and forge a new paradigm for major-power relations?” Xi asked during the talks.
At an evening banquet attended by business executives and government officials, Xi said the two countries could pursue national ambitions simultaneously.
“Achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and making America great again can totally go hand in hand… and advance the wellbeing of the whole world,” Xi said, referencing Trump’s MAGA political movement.
Taiwan emerged as one of the summit’s most sensitive issues. China’s communist government claims sovereignty over the self-governed island and has repeatedly warned against American arms sales and military support for Taipei.
Under the Taiwan Relations Act, the United States remains Taiwan’s primary arms supplier despite the absence of formal diplomatic recognition.
Before arriving in China, Trump said he planned to discuss U.S. weapons sales to Taiwan with Xi, a departure from prior American policy positions that typically avoided consultation with Beijing on those decisions.
Chinese officials did not confirm whether the matter was discussed directly during the summit, though Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun later reiterated Beijing’s opposition to American military support for Taiwan.
Taiwanese officials responded quickly to Xi’s remarks. Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement calling China “the only current risk to regional peace and stability,” while accusing Beijing of increasing military pressure through aircraft and naval operations near the island.
Taiwan Mainland Affairs Council spokesman Liang Wen-chieh said China’s military activities represented the true threat to peace in the Taiwan Strait.
“If maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait is truly the greatest common ground between China and the United States, then the Chinese Communist Party should restrain its own behavior of military intimidation,” Liang said.
The White House released only a brief summary of the summit, describing the initial talks as productive but omitting references to Taiwan or political prisoners in China.
The two sides did, however, discuss Iran and freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, according to the White House readout.
Washington stated that both leaders agreed Iran should never obtain a nuclear weapon and that the Strait of Hormuz must remain open to global energy shipments amid ongoing regional instability.
The White House also said Xi opposed the militarization of the strategic waterway and rejected efforts to impose charges on international shipping routes through the strait.
The summit also focused heavily on trade and technology. Discussions included expanding Chinese purchases of American agricultural goods, increasing market access for U.S. businesses operating in China, and encouraging additional Chinese investment into American industries.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent later told CNBC that Washington and Beijing had agreed to begin formal talks on artificial intelligence safety and governance.
“The two AI superpowers are going to start talking,” Bessent said.
“We’re gonna set up a protocol in terms of how do we go forward with best practices for AI to make sure non-state actors don’t get a hold of these models,” he added.
Bessent said the United States intended to shape future global AI standards around American principles while maintaining its technological advantage over China.
AI competition and semiconductor policy also surfaced during the summit amid ongoing debate in Washington over potential exports of advanced Nvidia processors to Chinese firms.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang joined Trump’s delegation alongside Tesla CEO Elon Musk and executives from Boeing, Qualcomm, Apple, and BlackRock.
Bessent acknowledged continuing discussions over potential sales of Nvidia’s H200 artificial intelligence chips to Chinese companies but did not indicate that final approval decisions had been reached.
The H200 processor remains one of the most advanced AI chips currently available commercially, and some lawmakers have warned that expanded access for China could strengthen Beijing’s military and technological capabilities.
Trump defended the possibility of controlled semiconductor exports in a previous statement, arguing the policy could support American manufacturing and jobs while limiting opportunities for Chinese competitors such as Huawei.
The summit also included discussion of fentanyl trafficking and precursor chemicals entering the United States. According to the White House, both governments agreed to continue cooperation aimed at reducing the flow of fentanyl-related materials.
Meanwhile, lawmakers in Washington continued pressing the administration over human rights concerns. Before the trip, Trump said he intended to raise the cases of Hong Kong publisher Jimmy Lai and Chinese pastor Jin Mingri with Xi.
Congressional resolutions passed earlier this week also urged the administration to advocate for several political prisoners currently detained by Chinese authorities.
Following the summit, Chinese Premier Li Qiang met separately with American business leaders accompanying the U.S. delegation as Beijing seeks to attract foreign investment while managing economic slowdowns tied to declining real estate markets, weak consumer spending, and rising youth unemployment.
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