Xi and Trump summit focuses on business links as Chinese leader issues Taiwan warning

Eric and Lara Trump, followed by Elon Musk, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang walk from Air Force One after arriving with President Donald Trump, Wednesday, May 13, at Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump started a crucial series of meetings in Beijing today (Thursday) in a U.S.-China summit where stability in the relationship is the main goal of the two days of discussions.

The White House and Chinese state media said the leaders concluded their meeting Thursday morning after about two hours. Trump is expected to leave just after midday Friday after a final private meeting with Xi. But few breakthroughs are expected on divisive issues ranging from the Iran war, trade, technology and Taiwan.

Trump hopes to focus the summit talks on trade and deals for China to buy more agricultural products and passenger planes, setting up a board to address their differences and avoid a repeat of the trade war ignited last year after Trump’s tariff hikes.

In their closed-door meeting, Xi told Trump that if Taiwan is handled well, U.S.-China relations “will enjoy overall stability.” If not, the two countries risk “clashes and even conflicts, putting the entire relationship in great jeopardy,” Xi said, according to China’s official Xinhua News Agency.

Trump in December authorized an $11 billion arms package for Taiwan, a self-governed island that Beijing claims as its own territory. The U.S. has not yet moved forward with delivery.

Xi said China’s door of opening to U.S. business will only open wider, he told American corporate leaders who accompanied Trump. The U.S. president said the business leaders all respect and value China and he encourages them to expand cooperation with China, Xinhua reported.

The war with Iran is also likely to be a key topic. Ahead of the meetings, Trump hoped China would use its considerable leverage to prod Iran to agree to U.S. terms to end the two-month old war or reopen the critical Strait of Hormuz, but he has tempered those calls ahead of the summit.

(Updating story)