During a meeting with President Donald Trump in China on Thursday, President Xi Jinping warned of the possibility of war over Taiwan.
According to a recounting of the meeting between the two leaders, Xi said that if the Taiwan issue is handled correctly, then the relationship between the US and China can be stable. He added, “Otherwise, the two countries will have clashes and even conflicts, putting the entire relationship in great jeopardy.”
Following the meeting, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US position on Taiwan remains unchanged.
President Trump traveled to China with several top advisers and American business leaders for two days of meetings. Among the top issues for Trump is Iran. In an interview, Trump claimed Xi agreed not to send Chinese weapons to Iran.
“He said he’s not going to give military equipment, that’s a big statement,” said Trump, adding that Xi had said it “strongly.” “But at the same time, he said you know they buy a lot of their oil there and they’d like to keep doing that. He’d like to see Hormuz Strait opened.”
The White House also claimed that China had agreed that the Strait of Hormuz must reopen and that Iran cannot change the toll for transiting the waterway.
“The two sides agreed that the Strait of Hormuz must remain open to support the free flow of energy. President Xi also made clear China’s opposition to the militarization of the Strait and any effort to charge a toll for its use, and he expressed interest in purchasing more American oil to reduce China’s dependence on the Strait in the future. Both countries agreed that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon,” the White House noted.
