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Xi Sends Warning to Trump Over Taiwan

The language from Xi was blunt. It may not be surprising, but it will be interesting to see how much Xi will push and the degree to which Trump and the U.S. will hold our ground. Wall Street Journal: Chinese leader Xi Jinping warned President Trump that any mishandling of Taiwan could lead to “an extremely dangerous situation,” directly raising a point of tension that has loomed over what the U.S. president said at the start could be “the best summit ever.” Xi’s remarks, while in line with China’s longstanding position, threatened to dim the mood of a visit both countries hoped would stabilize ties. The meetings that began Thursday morning at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing were billed as a gathering of superpowers to quell economic and trade disputes…. Xi, however, aims to weaken the U.S. commitment to Taiwan, a self-governing democracy that Beijing seeks to bring under its control. “Handled well, relations between the two countries can maintain overall stability,” the Chinese leader said, according to the Foreign Ministry. “If handled poorly, the two countries will collide or even clash, putting the entire U.S.-China relationship in an extremely dangerous situation.” “‘Taiwan independence’ and cross-Strait peace are as irreconcilable as fire and water,” Xi said. “Safeguarding peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is the biggest common denominator between China and the U.S.” Trump didn’t publicly respond to Xi’s statement (Wall Street Journal).