During a visit to Beijing, Donald Trump avoided answering a key question about Taiwan after meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Taiwan has remained one of the most sensitive and controversial issues between the United States and China for years, with growing international concern that China could attempt to invade the self-governed island in the future. After completing talks with Xi and touring Beijing’s Temple of Heaven, Trump was asked by reporters whether Taiwan had been discussed during the meeting. While he enthusiastically described China as “beautiful” and called the talks “great,” he completely ignored the question about Taiwan. Trump instead focused on praising Xi, calling him a “great leader” and saying it was “an honor” to be his friend. He also predicted that relations between China and the United States would become “better than ever before,” despite ongoing tensions over trade, military influence, and territorial disputes in the Asia-Pacific region.

Xi Jinping and Chinese officials have repeatedly warned Washington that Taiwan is the most important issue in U.S.-China relations and mishandling it could lead to severe consequences. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning emphasized that proper handling of the Taiwan issue is essential to maintaining stability between the two global powers, warning that failure to do so could create “clashes and even conflicts.” China views Taiwan as part of its territory, while many Western countries, including the United States, continue to support Taiwan politically and militarily. Trump’s refusal to address the topic publicly has fueled speculation about what may have been discussed privately during the high-level meeting. Meanwhile, Xi adopted a calmer tone in public remarks, stressing that cooperation between the two nations benefits both sides, while confrontation would only create harm. He added that China and the United States should act as partners rather than rivals and work together toward shared prosperity and stability in the future.