Xi delivers warning to Trump as tariff truce and Taiwan dominate summit

Xi Jinping has issued a stark warning to Donald Trump about the potential dangers of war between the two superpowers.

US president Trump was all smiles as he shook hands with his Chinese counterpart before hailing his trip to Beijing as the “biggest summit ever”.

The pair walked past a grand Chinese military event before heading off for crucial two-hour talks in the capital.

The initial round of diplomacy saw the pair discuss their current tariff truce and Taiwan’s sovereignty all as Xi declared the two nations must be “partners not rivals”.

But a cunning Xi quickly said the two could clash if they don’t see eye to eye over “the most important issue” in US-China relations.

A spokesperson for Beijing’s foreign ministry said: “President Xi stressed to President Trump that the Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-US relations.

If it is handled properly, the bilateral relationship will enjoy overall stability.

Otherwise, the two countries will have clashes and even conflicts, putting the entire relationship in great jeopardy.”

The Chinese president also went on to pose the question of “whether the two countries can transcend the ‘Thucydides Trap’”.

The remark has been seen as a reference to ancient Greek times on the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta.

Thucydides Trap is more commonly used today to warn about how a power on the rise can often clash with an existing one, resulting in war.

Ancient historian Thucydides wrote during the conflict: “It was the rise of Athens, and the fear that rise engendered in Sparta, that made war inevitable.”

In an unusually brief readout, the White House said the leaders touched on Iran with the two sides agreeing the Strait of Hormuz must remain open to “support the free flow of energy”.

Xi also said to be against any form of militarization across the vital waterway.

The two global powerhouses met for the first time on Trump’s three-day visit to China at the Great Hall in the capital.

Trump walked down a red carpet surrounded by proud children chanting “welcome!” and the Chinese military marching in unison.

Both men shook hands as they exchanged a few friendly words before greeting each other’s VIPs – including Elon Musk.

After the customary photo shoots of the two men, their teams headed inside for key diplomatic talks.

Inside the Great Hall, each side had nearly a dozen top officials sat on their left and right for the high-stakes sit down.

Xi took the lead as his opening comments saw him announce: “It is a pleasure to meet you in Beijing.”

The Chinese president said the two nations should “help each other succeed and prosper together” with 2026 set to be a “historic, landmark year” for both.

He added: “China and the United States both stand to gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation.

We should be partners, not rivals.”

Trump responded warmly as he described his welcome to Beijing as an “honor like few have ever seen before”.

“You and I have known each other now for a long time... We’ve had a fantastic relationship. We’ve gotten along,” Trump continued.

“When there were difficulties, we worked it out.”

China’s long-lasting president refocused the conversation on positive relations shortly after.

He said that Chinese and US trade teams reached “generally balanced, positive results” during the talks.

But Xi insisted there is “no winner in a trade war”.

Both sides are reportedly keen to extend the trade truce which has been in place since October when the two leaders last met in South Korea.

It came after a turbulent few weeks saw both sides impose tit-for-tat tariffs on each other’s imports.

After the summit, Trump was taken on a jovial tour of the Temple of Heaven in the Forbidden City.

Both leaders were asked a question on Taiwan during the trip to the UNESCO World Heritage Site which they quickly brushed off.