On the morning of May 14, 2026, US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Beijing. During the talks, the Chinese leader stated that the Taiwan issue was central to bilateral relations, and that its unresolved status could lead to a military conflict between the two countries.

According to Xi, if the Taiwan issue is properly resolved, US-China relations will remain stable. "If not, the two countries will clash or even come into conflict," China Central Television quoted the Chinese president as saying. Xi also emphasized that any attempts to achieve Taiwan independence are "incompatible with maintaining peace and stability in the region."

Trump, for his part, said at the meeting that his visit to Beijing had been very productive and noted the progress in US-China relations. "China has been very helpful to us," the US president told reporters after the talks. Earlier, in an interview with CBS News before the visit, Trump said he intended to discuss with Xi Jinping the possibility of halting US arms sales to Taiwan.

Following the official part of the talks, Trump also met with General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam To Lam and Chairman of the State Council of the People's Republic of China Li Qiang. The American president's visit to China will last until May 16. Before the talks, a welcoming ceremony was held for Trump in the square in front of the People's Palace: an honor guard formed up, the national anthems of both countries were played, and a joint inspection of the honor guard units took place.