At the opening of a fraught summit in Beijing, Chinese President Xi Jinping cautioned that missteps over Taiwan could escalate into “conflict” between the two powers — a blunt, sobering message that echoed across the ballroom as delegates prepared to grapple with numerous sensitive topics.
President Trump, by contrast, touched down with warm encomiums for Xi, dubbing him a “great leader” and a “friend,” and voicing optimism that the United States and China would build “a fantastic future together.”
Beneath the glittering ceremony and state pageantry, Xi’s tone grew cooler and more guarded: he urged that the two nations “should be partners and not rivals,” then immediately raised the fraught issue of self‑ruled democratic Taiwan, territory Beijing claims.
According to state broadcaster CCTV, Xi warned, “The Taiwan question is the most important issue in China‑US relations. If mishandled, the two nations could collide or even come into conflict, pushing the entire China‑US relationship into a highly perilous situation.”
The trip to Beijing — the first by an American president in nearly ten years — unfolded against a backdrop of lavish ceremony that masked persistent economic and strategic disputes. Trump received a red‑carpet welcome at the Great Hall of the People, with blaring brass, a ceremonial gun salute and a procession of schoolchildren jumping and chanting “welcome!” while cameras captured every moment.