Chinese President Xi Jinping issued a warning to President Donald Trump on Thursday, cautioning that the United States should not interfere in China’s relations with Taiwan.
Xi warned Trump that failing to properly handle the issue could result in “an extremely dangerous situation,” according to The Wall Street Journal.
The island of Taiwan, previously known as Formosa, was the refuge to which China’s nationalist government fled in 1949 after the Communist Revolution led by Mao Zedong took over mainland China.
Since that point, it has been self-governing, and while official U.S. policy says on paper that it does not have the diplomatic status of an independent country, U.S. military policy has been to shore up the island’s ability to defend itself.
Since he came to power in 2013, Xi has made the absorption of Taiwan a major policy issue.
Trump did not respond to questions concerning Xi’s comments to him about Taiwan.
President Xi stressed to President Trump that the Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-U.S. relations. If it is handled properly, the bilateral relationship will enjoy overall stability. Otherwise, the two countries will have clashes and even conflicts, putting… pic.twitter.com/gqji6lEfL7
— Mao Ning 毛宁 (@SpoxCHN_MaoNing) May 14, 2026
“President Xi stressed to President Trump that the Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-U.S. relations. If it is handled properly, the bilateral relationship will enjoy overall stability,” Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning posted on X.
“Otherwise, the two countries will have clashes and even conflicts, putting the entire relationship in great jeopardy,” the post said.
“’Taiwan independence’ and cross-Strait peace are as irreconcilable as fire and water. Safeguarding peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is the biggest common denominator between China and the U.S.,” the post said.
A White House readout of the meeting made no mention of Taiwan, according to The Washington Post.
Instead, the U.S. statement emphasized efforts to boost trade, cut back on chemicals used to make fentanyl coming to the U.S., and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump made much of the spectacular welcome that greeted him.
“That was an honor like few have ever seen before,” Trump told Xi.
“You and I have known each other now for a long time. In fact, the longest relationship of our two countries that any president and president has had, and that’s, to me, an honor,” he said.
Taiwan pushed back with a statement saying China is to blame for any unrest.
“China’s military threats are the sole cause of instability for the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region,” Taiwanese government representative Michelle Lee said.
“Our government views positively any actions that contribute to regional stability and help manage the risks posed by the expansion of authoritarian influence,” she said.
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