Xi warns Trump Taiwan issue could lead to 'conflict' as US-China summit starts
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Chinese President Xi Jinping warned his US counterpart Donald Trump that the issue of Taiwan could push their two countries into “conflict” if mishandled, a stark opening salvo as a superpower summit set to tackle numerous thorny issues began in Beijing Thursday. Trump had arrived in China with accolades for his host, calling Xi a “great leader” and “friend”, as he predicted that their countries would have “a fantastic future together”. @dawn.today US President Donald Trump expressed optimism about the future of US-China relations Thursday, telling his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping that ties between the two countries are poised to become “better than ever before.” "It's an honor to be with you. It's an honor to be your friend, and the relationship between China and the USA is going to be better than ever before," Trump said at a meeting with Xi in Beijing. His remarks came after Xi hosted a welcoming ceremony for the president at the Great Hall of the People, where Chinese children waved American and Chinese flags as the two leaders walked past them. Trump said he was "particularly impressed" by the children. "They were happy, they were beautiful ...Those children were amazing." It marked the first official visit to China by a sitting US president since Trump’s visit in 2017 during his previous term. Via Anadolu Agency. DawnToday ♬ original sound - Dawn.com - Dawn.com But beyond the pomp as he welcomed Trump, Xi used less effusive tones, saying the two sides “should be partners and not rivals” and highlighting the issue of self-ruled democratic Taiwan — which Beijing claims as its territory — straight off the bat. “The Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-US relations,” Xi said, according to state broadcaster CCTV. “If mishandled, the two nations could collide or even come into conflict, pushing the entire China-US relationship into a highly perilous situation.” The trip to Beijing is the first by a US president in nearly a decade, with the grand re