The leaders’ meeting was still in progress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing when Chinese state media published a report on what Xi Jinping told Donald Trump behind closed doors. It was a warning that while the prospects for the relationship between Beijing and Washington were good, there was one issue that could throw it off course.
“The Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-US relations. If it is handled properly, the bilateral relationship will enjoy overall stability,” Xi said.
“Otherwise, the two countries will have clashes and even conflicts, putting the entire relationship in great jeopardy.”
The White House account of the meeting later did not mention Taiwan and Trump declined to answer a question about the self-governing island during a brief exchange with reporters. Secretary of state Marco Rubio told NBC News on Thursday night US policy towards Taiwan had not changed and there is no sign of Washington halting the sale of weapons or declaring its opposition to the island’s independence.
Trump received full ceremonial honours on Tiananmen Square, inspecting a guard of honour and watching a march past of soldiers performing the zhengbu. This is a Chinese version of the goose step, which is more demanding and precise than the Prussian original, requiring the leg to be raised by precisely 25cm and each step to be 75cm in length, with a pace of 116 steps per minute.
