Trump-Xi summit triggers Taiwan, trade debate: Report

WASHINGTON: Chinese President Xi Jinping has warned US President Donald Trump that mishandling Taiwan could lead to “clashes and even conflicts” as the two leaders opened high-stakes talks in Beijing aimed at stabilising relations between the world’s two largest economies amid tensions over trade, technology and Iran, according to multiple media reports.

According to reports by The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and CNN, the warning came during Trump’s first visit to China in nearly nine years and underscored the deep strategic divide that persists beneath the summit’s carefully choreographed pageantry. The Washington Post reported that Xi delivered the warning during closed-door talks at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

“The Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-US relations,” Xi told Trump during the meeting, according to Chinese accounts cited by The Washington Post. “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.”

Trump did not publicly respond to Xi’s remarks on Taiwan. A White House account instead highlighted trade, investment and Iran-related discussions, according to The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. Officials from both countries said the Strait of Hormuz “must remain open” and reiterated that Iran “can never have a nuclear weapon”.

The summit blended symbolism with strategic bargaining. The Wall Street Journal reported that Xi gave Trump a red-carpet welcome featuring a 21-gun salute, military bands and schoolchildren waving Chinese and American flags outside the Great Hall of the People. Trump later called the reception “an honor like few have ever seen before”.