Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday warned US President Donald Trump that the US-China could clash or come to conflict if the issue over self-ruled Taiwan is mishandled, as the territorial conflict is the "most important" in the ties between the two countries.
"The Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-US relations," Xi said, AFP reported, citing state broadcaster CCTV.
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"If mishandled, the two nations could collide or even come into conflict, pushing the entire China-US relationship into a highly perilous situation," he said.
China views democratically governed Taiwan as its territory, a claim that Taipei rejects, and opposes US arms sales to the island.
On concluding his first meeting with Trump, Xi said that US and China have decided to build constructive trategic stable relations as new positioning of their bilateral ties.
New positioning will provide strategic guidance for relations for next 3 years and beyond, Xi added.
China-US economic and trade relations is a mutual benefit for the two nations, will bear win win results, Xi said, noting that equal consultation is the "only correct choice"
"The two sides should work together to maintain the current hard-won good momentum...US, China should expand cooperation in trade, health, agriculture, tourism, culture, law enforcement," the Chinese president said.
Xi also urged US to handle Taiwan issue with utmost prudence.
Xi received Trump as he arrived at the Great Hall and introduced him to the Chinese officials, followed by Xi shaking hands with the US officials accompanying the president. Later, they inspected the guard of honour before going for talks.
US-China relations in focus
In his opening remarks at the key meeting, Xi told Trump that he expects 2026 to be "historic, landmark year" for China-US relations, and that the two countries must jointly answer the questions of the times.
Trump said that he was looking forward to a "big discussion" with President Xi as he arrived in Beijing last night to a rousing welcome.
As the two leaders met in Beijing, China renewed export licences for hundreds of US beef processing plants, customs data showed, including plants owned by Tyson Foods and Cargill.
More than 400 US beef plants had lost export eligibility over the past year as permissions that China granted between March 2020 and April 2021 lapsed, according to the country's customs data, accounting for roughly 65% of the once-registered facilities.
US beef exports to China collapsed last year after the registrations for most US beef plants in China expired on March 16.
Over the year, the export volume dropped 48% from 2024 and the value plunged 69%, according to the US Meat Export Federation's USDA-based report. US beef exports to China peaked at $1.7 billion in 2022.
(With inputs from Reuters)
