Xi Warns On Taiwan As Trump Seeks Trade Progress During Beijing Summit

(Reid Standish – RFE/RL) US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping concluded more than two hours of high-stakes talks in Beijing on May 14, with both sides projecting optimism about stabilizing relations even as sharp disagreements over Taiwan, trade, and the war in Iran loomed over the summit. The bilateral meeting, held in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People, marked the first face-to-face talks between Trump and Xi since they met in South Korea in October 2025. Trump is expected to attend a state banquet in his honor in the evening following a cultural visit to Beijing’s Temple of Heaven. Xi used the opening of the summit to call for cooperation between the world’s two largest economies, saying China and the United States should be “partners rather than opponents” despite mounting strategic rivalry and growing instability around the world. Trump called Xi a “friend” and said that “the relationship between China and the USA is going to be better than ever before.” – Xi Warns On Taiwan As Trump Seeks Trade Progress During Beijing Summit