Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump called for stronger communication and a more stable relationship during talks in Beijing on Thursday, while Xi warned that the Taiwan issue could put China-U.S. ties at risk if mishandled.
The talks were held at the Great Hall of the People during Trump’s state visit to China, according to Xinhua.
The talks covered China-U.S. relations, trade, Taiwan and major international issues, including the Middle East, Ukraine and the Korean Peninsula.
Xi said the world is experiencing rapid change and a turbulent international situation. He said both China and the United States face major questions about whether they can avoid confrontation, manage differences and work together on global challenges.
“I look forward to working with President Trump to chart the course for China-U.S. relations and make 2026 a historic, landmark year for the relationship,” Xi said, according to Xinhua.
Xi said the two leaders agreed on a new vision of building a “constructive China-U.S. relationship of strategic stability.” He said that approach should steer relations for the next three years and beyond.
The Chinese leader said the proposed stability should be built on cooperation, moderate competition, manageable differences and peace. He said it should not remain only a slogan but should be reflected in concrete actions by both governments.
On trade, Xi said China-U.S. economic ties are mutually beneficial and that consultation is the right way to handle disagreements. He said economic and trade teams from the two countries produced “generally balanced and positive outcomes” in their latest round of talks on Wednesday.
Xi also said China would further open its market and welcomed American companies to expand mutually beneficial cooperation with China.
He called on both sides to make greater use of political, diplomatic and military communication channels. He also called for expanded exchanges in trade, health, agriculture, tourism, people-to-people ties and law enforcement.
But Xi delivered his strongest warning on Taiwan, calling it the most important issue in China-U.S. relations.
Xi said that if Taiwan is handled properly, the larger relationship can remain stable. Otherwise, he warned, the two countries could face clashes and even conflicts, putting the relationship in serious danger.
Xi urged Washington to exercise “extra caution” on the Taiwan question. He said the biggest shared interest between China and the United States is maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, while arguing that “Taiwan independence” and cross-Strait peace cannot coexist.
Trump was quoted by Xinhua as saying it was a great honor to visit China and that Xi was a great leader. He said he had “tremendous respect” for Xi and the Chinese people.
Trump said he was ready to work with Xi to improve communication, broaden cooperation, properly manage differences and make bilateral relations “better than ever before.”
He described the United States and China as the world’s most important and powerful countries and said the two presidents could do “a lot of big and good things” for both countries and the world.
Trump called on representatives of U.S. business to boost cooperation with China.
The two leaders also discussed the Middle East, the Ukraine crisis and the Korean Peninsula. They agreed to support each other in hosting this year’s APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting and G20 Summit.
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