What to know about Xi's warning to Trump over the 'Taiwan Question'

HONG KONG (AP) — China on Thursday stepped up its tough stance on Taiwan, an island democracy it deems its territory, warning the United States that Beijing and Washington will “have clashes and even conflicts” if the issue is not handled properly.

China’s President Xi Jinping stressed during his summit with U.S. President Donald Trump that the “ Taiwan question ” is the most important issue in ties between Beijing and Washington, according to a readout from the Chinese foreign ministry.

"‘Taiwan independence’ and cross-Strait peace are as irreconcilable as fire and water,” Xi told Trump, according to the statement.

Xi’s stern tone reflected China’s growing pressure on the U.S., Taiwan’s largest unofficial ally. The U.S. is required by law to ensure Taiwan can defend itself but officially maintains a position of what has been called strategic ambiguity — leaving the question of whether it would get involved militarily if China decided to reclaim Taiwan by force.

“If it is handled properly, the bilateral relationship will enjoy overall stability. Otherwise, the two countries will have clashes and even conflicts, putting the entire relationship in great jeopardy,” Xi said, according to the ministry.

Beijing has already ramped up a campaign over the past few years to lure away Taiwan’s diplomatic allies and increase military pressure on the island.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday that U.S. policy toward Taiwan was “unchanged” but warned that it would be “a terrible mistake” for China to take Taiwan by force.

“U.S. policy on the issue of Taiwan is unchanged as of today," he said in an interview with NBC News.

Xi wants China to be unified with Taiwan

China and Taiwan have been governed separately since 1949, when the Communist Party rose to power in Beijing following a civil war. Defeated Nationalist Party forces fled to Taiwan, which later transitioned from martial law to multiparty democracy.

China sees self-ruled Taiwan as its own breakaway province, to be retaken by force if necessary.

Relations between Beijing and Taipei have been tense since Taiwan first elected Tsai Ing-wen as president in 2016. Her Democratic Progressive Party says Taiwan is functionally independent and its own sovereign state. China cut off most of its official dialogue with Taiwan’s government. In recent years, Beijing has sent warships and fighter jets closer toward the island on a nearly daily basis.

The Chinese leader previously said China would “surely be reunified” with Taiwan, an island of about 23 million people.

Beyond politics, Taiwan is a major manufacturer of AI servers, computer chips and precision instruments. The AI boom has propelled Taiwan ’s leading technology companies to record profits and revenues.

Rhetoric on Taiwan reflects Chinese worries

Analysts say Xi’s comments reflect China’s anxieties over a defense relationship that has grown closer between Taiwan and the U.S.

“If China had secured any meaningful concession on Taiwan from Trump, it would have been reflected” in Beijing’s official readout of the leaders’ meeting, said William Yang, a senior analyst for Northeast Asia for International Crisis Group.

“The lack of such mention and the relatively stern tone suggest Trump may not have budged on Taiwan in principle,” he said.

In December, Trump’s team announced an $11 billion weapons package for Taiwan, the largest ever. Trump has also demanded that Taiwan increase defense spending.

Ma Chun-wei, an expert in China-Taiwan relations at Taiwan’s Tamkang University, said China could also be worried the Trump administration has veered away from standard diplomatic language on Taiwan. The U.S. position has long been to acknowledge China’s position on Taiwan but maintain unofficial relations with the island.

The latest version of the national security strategy from the Trump administration issued last December simply reads: “We will also maintain our longstanding declaratory policy on Taiwan, meaning that the United States does not support any unilateral change to the status quo in the Taiwan Strait.”

The U.S. usually has very standardized language on its relationship with Taiwan.

“For Xi Jinping, he must show that the Taiwan issue is in China’s hands. He must demonstrate this image, or else he would be criticized,” Ma said. ___

Wu reported from Bangkok. AP writer Simina Mistreanu in Bangkok and Michelle L. Price in Washington contributed to this report.