Trump-Xi meeting was ‘good’, says White House
The statement made no mention of discussions on Taiwan; Taipei says no surprise messaging so far
By R Anil Kumar
Beijing/ Washington/ Bengaluru, May 14, 2026. US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping held a “good” meeting in Beijing on Thursday (May 14, 2026), the White House said, in a readout that did not include any reference to Taiwan.
“President Trump had a good meeting with President Xi of China. The two sides discussed ways to enhance economic cooperation,” the White House said in a statement.
It made no mention of discussions on self-ruled Taiwan that Mr. Xi earlier said could cause a “conflict” between China and the United States should the issue be mishandled.
US-China summit: Taiwan issue could lead to ‘conflict’, Xi warns Trump
Chinese President Xi Jinping warned Donald Trump that mishandling the Taiwan issue could trigger “clashes and even conflicts” between the two countries, as the leaders held wide-ranging talks on the Iran war, energy security and trade on Thursday (May 14, 2026).
China and the US have agreed on a “new vision” for building constructive bilateral ties, Mr. Xi said. “I have agreed with President Trump on a new vision of building a constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability.” Mr. Xi said the “new vision” would provide strategic guidance for bilateral relations over the next three years and beyond, and should be welcomed by the people of both countries as well as the international community, official media reported.
He, however, stressed that the Taiwan question remained the most important issue in China-US relations.
If it is handled properly, the bilateral relationship “will enjoy overall stability”, Mr. Xi said. Otherwise, the two countries could face “clashes and even conflicts”, putting bilateral ties in great jeopardy, the leader was quoted as saying by the state-run Xinhua news agency.
The Chinese President urged the US to exercise extra caution in handling the Taiwan issue.
Taiwan says nothing surprising so far from Trump-Xi summit
So far there is no surprising message from the summit between the Chinese and US leaders in Beijing, a spokesperson for Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council said.
They added that Taipei is in close touch with Washington on the meeting.
Meanwhile, in response to Mr. Xi’s comments, Taiwan was quoted saying: “China is currently the only risk to regional peace and stability.” China regards self-ruled Taiwan as a renegade province that must eventually be reunified with the mainland. It opposes formal diplomatic ties between Taipei and countries that recognise Beijing.
Since establishing diplomatic relations with modern China in 1979, the US has maintained unofficial ties with Taiwan and continued supplying arms to the island while formally acknowledging Beijing’s position that Taiwan is part of China without explicitly endorsing it.
Trump invites Chinese President Xi Jinping
Mr. Trump on Thursday (May 14, 2026) announced that his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping would be making a reciprocal visit to the White House on September 24.
“Thank you again, President Xi, for this beautiful welcome, and tonight, it is my honour to extend an invitation to you, Madam Peng, to visit us at the White House this September 24 and we look forward to it, and I’d now like to raise your glass and propose a toast to the rich and enduring ties between the American and Chinese people,” Mr. Trump said during his speech in Beijing during his meeting with Mr. Xi.
