Chinese President Xi Jinping warned his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, that the issue of Taiwan could push their two countries into “conflict” if mishandled. The talks, which lasted more than two hours on Thursday (May 14, 2026), saw the pair tackle thorny issues including Taiwan, the self-ruled democratic island claimed by Beijing.
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Mr. Trump had arrived in China with accolades for his host, calling Xi a “great leader” and “friend”, as he predicted that their countries would have “a fantastic future together”.
But beyond the pomp as he welcomed Mr. Trump, Mr. Xi used less effusive tones, saying the two sides “should be partners and not rivals” and highlighting the issue of self-ruled democratic Taiwan — which Beijing claims as its territory — straight off the bat.
China, U.S. should be ‘partners not rivals’, says Xi Jinping after meeting Donald Trump
