©picture alliance / Newscom | THE WHITE HOUSE
U.S. President Donald Trump is in China for a bipartisan summit with President Xi Jinping. The visit focuses on negotiations regarding trade, technology (chips) and strategic issues such as Taiwan. Trump is being joined on his trip by U.S. CEOs to strengthen economic ties between the two geopolitical powerhouses.
In his opening remarks during the meeting with Xi, U.S. President Donald Trump said in advance that he has "enormous respect" for China and Xi.
However, Chinese President Xi Jinping also warned on Thursday that China and the United States could be entangled in a "conflict" if Washington mishandles the Taiwan issue. So reported Chinese state television after a telephone conversation with President Donald Trump that lasted about two hours and 15 minutes.
"The Taiwan issue is the most important in Sino-American relations. If it is handled well, relations between the two countries can remain generally stable. If it is handled poorly, the two countries will clash or even come into conflict," Xi said. In his warning, Xi used a Mandarin word that does not necessarily imply military confrontation, but underscores the seriousness of the situation.
The Chinese president also reiterated that the pursuit of Taiwanese independence is incompatible with peace in the Taiwan Strait. That is the narrow strait that separates the island from the mainland. Beijing sees Taiwan as a renegade province that has not been "reunified" since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949. Beijing says it prefers peaceful reunification but does not rule out the use of force.
The United States formally recognizes Beijing's government, not Taipei's, but remains Taiwan's main arms supplier. And for that, it invariably receives sharp criticism from China. Indeed, China sees this as a violation of national sovereignty.
During the conversation between Xi and Trump, Taipei in turn announced that Washington has reaffirmed its "clear and strong support" for the island. This already adds some additional diplomatic tension to Trump's visit to China.
©picture alliance / Newscom | THE WHITE HOUSE - The photo shows U.S. President Donald Trump upon his arrival at Beijing airport. He is welcomed there by Chinese Vice President Han Zheng.