Trump, Xi Stand Firm on Taiwan and Iran at Beijing Summit

US, China Hold Summit and State Banquet in Beijing

Xi Says Mishandling Taiwan Could Trigger Conflict, Adds MAGA Can Coexist

Trump Says They Agreed to Keep Strait of Hormuz Open, Invites Xi to White House in September

The US and China each pressed their positions on Taiwan and the Iran war during a summit in Beijing on May 14. Chinese President Xi Jinping warned that the two countries could be pulled into military conflict if Washington "improperly handles" the Taiwan issue. On Iran, however, he backed US President Donald Trump's position that the Strait of Hormuz should remain open.

The meeting began at 10:25 a.m. at the Great Hall of the People and lasted about two hours and 15 minutes, according to the White House press pool. During the talks, China's state-run Xinhua News Agency said Xi stressed that "Taiwan independence" is fundamentally incompatible with peace in the Taiwan Strait and that maintaining peace and stability there is the most important common ground shared by China and the US.

The White House underscored areas of agreement on Iran. In a written briefing distributed to reporters, it said China had reaffirmed the need to keep the Strait of Hormuz open and the principle that Iran cannot be allowed to possess nuclear weapons. The two sides also discussed broader market access for US companies in China and increased Chinese investment in the US, the White House said. It added that China had signaled willingness to help reduce the trade imbalance by buying more US agricultural products.

The two leaders also exchanged views on major international and regional issues, including the war in Ukraine and the Korean Peninsula, Xinhua reported. Xi said cooperation would benefit both sides, while confrontation would leave both wounded.

The summit was followed by a state banquet, where the two leaders struck a warm tone. At the dinner at the Great Hall of the People, Xi said the Chinese and American people are both great peoples and that "the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation" and "Make America Great Again," or MAGA, are fully compatible. Trump replied that the two sides had held "very positive and productive" talks and meetings and that the outcome was good for both the US and China.

Trump also said he was honored to formally invite Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, to visit the White House on September 24. That points to the next US-China summit being held in Washington in about four months.

Sang-eun Lee in Washington and Eun-jung Kim in Beijing, Korea Economic Daily reporters selee@hankyung.com