China's Xi Lauds 'New Positioning' In Ties With US But Warns Taiwan Issue Could Lead To 'Conflict'
Xi Jinping emphasized a "new positioning" of U.S.-China ties, advocating for cooperation alongside measured competition after his summit with Donald Trump. They agreed on building a strategically stable relationship, primarily based on cooperation, despite differences.
- World News
- 3 min read
Beijing: China's President Xi Jinping hailed on Thursday a "new positioning" of ties with the United States that envisages cooperation with measured competition, following his summit with President Donald Trump.
Xi said both leaders agreed that building a constructive, strategically stable relationship would guide ties in the next three years and beyond, according to a Chinese foreign ministry statement.
Xi described such ties as based primarily on cooperation but with measured competition for "a normal stability in which differences are controllable, and a lasting stability in which peace can be expected", the ministry added.
He called for both countries to widen exchanges and cooperation in trade, health, agriculture, tourism, people-to-people exchanges, and law enforcement, it said.
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Even as Xi talked up cooperation, he stressed "utmost caution" by the United States in handling the issue of Taiwan, the democratically governed island claimed by China, although Taipei rejects the contention.
China's Xi Jinping told President Donald Trump that trade talks were making progress at the start of a two-day summit on Thursday but warned that disagreement over Taiwan could send relations down a dangerous path and even lead to conflict.
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"If handled poorly, the two countries could collide or even enter into conflict, pushing the entire China-U.S. relationship into an extremely dangerous situation," the Chinese leader said.
The Chinese leader's remarks on Taiwan were a stark - but not unprecedented - warning in a pomp-filled meeting that otherwise appeared friendly and relaxed, and which Trump described as possibly the "biggest summit ever".
With Trump's approval ratings dented by his Iran war, the first visit by a U.S. president to America's main strategic and economic rival in nearly a decade has taken on added significance.
After a ceremony that featured an honour guard and throngs of children excitedly waving flowers and flags at Beijing's imposing Great Hall of the People, Trump heaped praise on Xi as they began talks that lasted more than two hours.
"You're a great leader, sometimes people don’t like me saying it, but I say it anyway," Trump said in brief opening remarks. "There are those who say this may be the biggest summit ever," he added.
Later, Xi said negotiations between U.S. and Chinese economic and trade teams in South Korea on Wednesday had reached "overall balanced and positive outcomes", according to a readout by China's foreign ministry.
The negotiations had aimed to maintain a fragile trade truce struck between the world's two biggest economies last October and establish mechanisms to support future trade and investment, officials with knowledge of the matter said.
Xi also broached the subject of Taiwan, the democratically governed island claimed by China and armed by the United States.
The Chinese leader told Trump that Taiwan was the most important issue they faced and if handled poorly could push the entire U.S.-China relationship into an extremely dangerous situation and cause the countries to collide or even enter conflict, according to Beijing's readout of the talks.