Xi warns Trump that mishandling Taiwan could spark 'clashes and conflicts'

China's leader Xi Jinping warned President Trump Thursday that mishandling Taiwan could lead to "clashes and even conflicts" between the two countries, delivering Beijing's starkest caution over the island during a two-hour closed-door summit at the Great Hall of the People.

The warning arrives as the Trump administration has approved but not yet fulfilled an $11 billion arms package for Taiwan, elevating the stakes in a bilateral relationship already strained by trade disputes and competing interests over Iran.

Xi told Trump that "the Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-U.S. relations," according to a post by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning on X. Xi warned that if the issue is handled properly "the bilateral relationship will enjoy overall stability," but otherwise "the two countries will have clashes and even conflicts, putting the entire relationship in great jeopardy," Mao wrote.

Before the meeting began, Trump offered effusive praise. "You're a great leader. Sometimes people don't like me saying it, but I say it anyway, because it's true," the president said in a brief public exchange, according to ABC7. He added: "It's an honor to be your friend. The relationship between China and the USA is going to be better than ever before."

In his opening remarks, Xi raised the question of whether the two nations could transcend the "Thucydides Trap" — the theory that a rising power challenging a dominant one leads inevitably to war — and forge a new model for major-power relations, ABC7 reported. "Cooperation benefits both sides, while confrontation harms both," Xi said. "The two countries should be partners rather than rivals."

The Trump administration approved an $11 billion arms package for Taiwan but has not yet begun fulfilling it, according to ABC7. On Iran, whose oil China dominates in purchasing, and the strategic Strait of Hormuz, both sides agreed the waterway must remain open. Discussions also included expanding market access for American businesses in China and increasing Chinese investment in U.S. industries.

Taiwan's government responded carefully. "The government views all actions that contribute to regional stability and the management of potential risks from authoritarian expansion positively," said Michelle Lee, spokesperson for Taiwan's premier, according to ABC7.

George Chen, a partner at The Asia Group consultancy, told ABC7 that Trump's three-day visit was likely to focus more on pageantry and symbolism than substantive political or economic breakthroughs.

Trump's visit included an elaborate welcome ceremony featuring cannon fire, national anthems and schoolchildren waving flags, followed by Xi's personal tour of the Temple of Heaven and an evening state banquet.