Xi Tells Trump Taiwan Issue Could Trigger Major Crisis

(MENAFN) Chinese President Xi Jinping warned US President Donald Trump that tensions surrounding Taiwan could drive relations between the two powers into “a very dangerous situation,” describing the matter as the most critical issue between Beijing and Washington.

The remarks were made Thursday during talks at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, marking the first visit by a US president to China in nearly nine years.

According to reports, discussions during the summit are expected to focus on the Iran conflict, trade disagreements, artificial intelligence competition, and growing tensions involving Taiwan, which China considers part of its sovereign territory.

“The Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-US relations,” Xi said. “If it is handled properly, the bilateral relationship will enjoy overall stability. Otherwise, the two countries may clash or even come into conflict, pushing the entire China-US relationship into a very dangerous situation.”

Xi also stated that Taiwan’s “independence” and cross-strait peace are “as irreconcilable as fire and water.”

The Chinese leader further reflected on the broader trajectory of relations between the two countries, raising the idea of avoiding the so-called “Thucydides Trap,” a theory developed by Harvard academic Graham Allison describing the risk of war when a rising power challenges an established one. Xi suggested that Beijing and Washington should instead work toward building a “new paradigm of major-country relations.”

Taiwanese officials responded cautiously to the summit amid concerns that Washington could make concessions to Beijing. Cabinet spokesperson Michelle Lee argued that “China’s military threat is the sole source of insecurity in the Taiwan Strait and the broader Indo-Pacific region.”

While the United States officially recognizes the One China policy, it has continued maintaining close relations with Taiwan and has approved major arms sales to the island over several decades. Reports noted that the Trump administration approved an $11 billion weapons package in December.

However, earlier reports indicated that Washington had delayed an even larger arms package reportedly worth around $13 billion ahead of the Trump-Xi meeting. Trump had previously acknowledged that the issue of weapons sales would likely be discussed during the summit.

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