Xi Jinping says Taiwan remains the most sensitive issue in US-China relations and calls for cooperation over confrontation
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday warned that the United States and China could drift toward conflict if the Taiwan issue is mishandled, during a high-stakes bilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump in Beijing.
According to Chinese state media, Xi described Taiwan as the “most important issue” in China-US relations and cautioned against actions that could destabilise ties between the two global powers.
“The Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-US relations,” Xi said, according to state broadcaster CCTV. “If mishandled, the two nations could collide or even come into conflict, pushing the entire China-US relationship into a highly perilous situation.”
Xi also stressed that maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait remains a key shared interest between Washington and Beijing.
The Chinese President called for cooperation rather than confrontation between the world’s two largest economies, saying both nations should work together to manage global challenges amid rising geopolitical uncertainty.
Speaking during the bilateral talks, Xi said, “The whole world is watching our meeting. Currently, a transformation not seen in a century is accelerating across the globe, and the international situation is fluid and turbulent. The world has come to a new crossroads.”
He further questioned whether China and the US could avoid falling into the so-called “Thucydides trap” — a term often used to describe the risk of war between a rising power and an established one.
“Can China and the United States overcome the Thucydides trap and create a new paradigm of major country relations? Can we meet global challenges together and provide more stability for the world? Can we, in the interests of the well-being of our two peoples and the future of humanity, build a brighter future together for our bilateral relations?” Xi said.
The remarks came during Trump’s two-day visit to China, where both sides are expected to discuss key flashpoints including Taiwan, trade tensions, technology restrictions and regional security concerns.
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