Chinese President Xi Jinping warned Donald Trump on Thursday that mishandling the Taiwan issue could push the two countries into “conflict,” delivering a pointed opening message as their superpower summit began in Beijing.

The warning came despite Trump arriving with warm words for his host, calling Xi a “great leader” and “friend” and predicting “a fantastic future together.”

What did Xi warn Trump about Taiwan at the Beijing summit?

Xi told Trump that Taiwan was “the most important issue in China-US relations.” He said that if mishandled, the two nations could “collide or even come into conflict, pushing the entire China-US relationship into a highly perilous situation.”

The warning was delivered directly at the opening of the summit, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

Xi greeted Trump with a red-carpet welcome at the Great Hall of the People, complete with a military band, a gun salute and schoolchildren chanting “welcome!” Trump appeared to enjoy the ceremony, saying “the relationship between China and the USA is going to be better than ever before.”

Xi’s tone was markedly more measured, framing the meeting around the risks of rivalry rather than the promise of friendship.

What is the Thucydides Trap and why did Xi raise it?

Xi referenced an ancient Greek political theory about the dangers of war when a rising power challenges a ruling one, asking whether China and the United States could “transcend the so-called Thucydides Trap and forge a new paradigm for major-power relations.”

He added that the two sides “should be partners and not rivals” and that “cooperation benefits both sides, while confrontation harms both.” The reference was a deliberate signal about how Beijing views the broader trajectory of US-China competition.

There has been significant confrontation since Trump’s last China visit in 2017. The two countries spent much of 2025 locked in a trade war, with tit-for-tat tariffs exceeding 100 percent, and have clashed on a range of major global issues.

What is the US position on Taiwan ahead of the summit?

The United States recognizes only Beijing but is required under domestic law to provide weapons to Taiwan so it can defend itself. China has sworn to take Taiwan and has not ruled out using force, increasing military pressure around the island in recent years.

Trump said on Monday he would raise US arms sales to Taiwan with Xi, a potential departure from Washington’s longstanding position of not consulting Beijing on the matter.

What else is on the agenda for the Trump-Xi summit?

The Iran war is a new and complicating addition to the summit agenda, having already forced Trump to postpone the trip from March. Iran sells most of its US-sanctioned oil to China, giving Beijing potential leverage.

Trump said he expected a “long talk” with Xi on Iran but insisted: “I don’t think we need any help with Iran.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio struck a different tone, saying Washington hoped to convince China to “play a more active role in getting Iran to walk away from what they are doing now” in the Persian Gulf.

Trade also features prominently. Trump and Xi are expected to discuss extending a one-year tariff truce reached at their last meeting in South Korea in October.

Business deals on agriculture, aircraft and other sectors are on Trump’s wish list, and executives including Nvidia’s Jensen Huang and Elon Musk attended the welcome ceremony. China’s controls on rare earth exports and AI rivalry are also expected to feature in talks.

Trump will attend a state banquet with Xi in the evening and visit the Temple of Heaven, a World Heritage site in Beijing.